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IN    A 


TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD 


BY 


ISAAC   XEWTOX    LEWIS.  A.M.,  LL.B. 


BOSTON 

CUPPLES    AND    HURD 

(3tbc  Jtlgonqiun  press 


Copyright,   1888, 
By  ISAAC  NEWTON  LEWIS. 

All  rights  reserved. 


TO    LITTLE    ANNIE    MAY,   WHOSE    SILVERY    LAUGH, 
AND    GENTLE,  WINNING    WAYS   HAVE    WARMED    THE    HEART 
AND    SOOTHED    THE    MIND,    FOR    MANY    A    VACANT  HOUR, 

STfjMe  iSagrs  are  ffitratefulln  SfljtcateD. 


PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS. 


CHAPTER    I. 

Bright  dreams  of  youth, 
In  living  forms  arise. 


Memory,  like  a  perfume,  permeates  the  sense 
and  lovingly  draws  us  to  a  grateful  realization  of  its 
fond  presence.  Never  so  trivial  the  occasion,  the  influ- 
ence is  the  same.  Before  me  lies  the  unconscious 
agent  of  such  renewed  pleasure  to-day.  It  is  but  an 
old  newspaper,  weather-beaten,  yellow,  and  torn,  but 
it  speaks  to  me  with  more  than  earthly  sweetness  of 
past  experience,  thought  to  have  been  long  since  for- 


gotten. 


Rich  labyrinths  of  palms  and  ferns,  clouds  of  bright 
and  delicately-tinted  flowers,  from  earth  to  sky,  spon- 
taneously rise  before  my  awakening  mind  in  scenes  too 
beautiful  but  for  heaven,  and  even  now  fill  the  mind 
with  wonder  and  the  heart  with  joy.  It  is  a  Calcutta 
daily,  bearing  date  of  Sept.  5,  1887.  On  that  day  I 
had  decided  to  leave   northern  India,  and  had  taken 


6  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

passage  for  Madras  on  the  French  ss.  Tibre,  of  the 
M.  M.  line.  All  that  afternoon,  under  the  guidance  of 
an  English  pilot,  we  had  slowly  backed  down  the 
Hoogly,  till  we  had  reached  Garden  Reach,  by  the 
palaces  and  gardens  of  the  King  of  Oudh,  our  mooring 
for  the  night. 

One  hundred  wives  has  this  old  native  king,  all  of 
whom,  in  return  for  his  possessions  up  the  river,  are  in 
royal  style  supported  by  the  English  government.  The 
possibility  of  an  enforced  introduction  to  this  motley 
and  numerous  household  proved  too  much  for  my 
peace  of  mind,  and  had  driven  me  to  the  cages  of  wild 
animals  and  the  surrounding  country  for  the  few  hours 
entertainment  of  enforced  delav. 

On  the  following  morning,  the  early  sun  glanced 
through  the  heavy  foliage  with  a  power  worthy  of  an 
Indian  midsummer.  Up  and  down,  to  and  fro,  floated 
the  tall,  light  feather  grass  in  the  morning  breeze,  and 
made  me  long  to  be  up  and  away. 

Up  and  down  the  shaded  deck,  now  watching  the 
crowds  of  swarthy  Hindoos  openly  bathing  in  the 
sacred  stream,  and  now  casting  an  admiring  glance  up 
at  the  beautiful  French  flag,  gracefully  floating  in  the 
air,  we  wore  away  the  hours,  until  this,  then  bright  and 
new,  paper  was  handed  me  by  the  pilot,  whose  native 
servant  had  just  arrived  by  rail  from  Calcutta  with  the 
latest  news.  It  was  a  welcome  guest,  and  fondly 
entertained  by  all  those  on  board.     How  eagerly  we 


RBC 
NcU 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  7 

all  sought  for  news  of  home  and  friends  !  And  now, 
to-day,  from  a  mass  of  foreign  correspondence,  discol- 
ored, vellovv  and  torn,  it  thrusts  itself  forward  to  the 
light,  and  mutely  appeals  for  recognition.  As  then,  I 
now  read  in  the  clear  type  of  its  title  page  : 

"  Passengers  from  Calcutta  per  ss.  Tibre. 

For  Pondicherry,  i\  Farrin,  Lt.  Col.  Godfrey  and 
wife.  Miss  and  Mrs.  Dubern. 

For  Colombo,  Mrs.  Atkinson,  Mr.  Labousiere,  wife 
and  child,  Le  Pere  de  Wavre. 

For  Marseilles,  Chauvin. 

For  Port  Said,  Isaac  Newton  Lewis. 

For  Madras,  Kader  Saib,  Abdoul  Gaffer." 

These  comprised  the  saloon.  The  many  native 
passengers  nearly  all  travelled  either  third  class,  or  on 
deck,  and  probably  thus  saved  their  gold  and  silver 
with  which  to  bedeck  their  bodies.  The  sight  of  that 
torn  and  faded  souvenir  of  the  East  inspires  me  to  jot 
down  in  some  sort  of  way  my  many  and  varied  experi- 
ences of  that  time,  though  I  am  fully  aware  that,  as  in 
moral  experiences,  the  beauty  and  interest  often  lie 
too  deep  for  expression.  All  personal  narrative  is,  at 
the  best,  but  the  reflection  of  experience.  To  fairly 
represent  the  panorama  which  is  constantly  passing 
before  the  gaze  of  one  in  his  world-wide  travels  is 
beyond  human  power,  yet  to  friends  and  relatives,  and 
to  those  who  have  neither  the  time,  means,  nor  health 
to  travel,  something  now  and  then  may  appear  in  these 


8  PLEA SA NT  HO  URS  IN  S UNNY  L A NDS, 

pages  of  interest,  if  not  of  profit.  Like  the  clouds  of 
eager  doves  swarming  down  on  St.  Mark's  square  in 
Venice,  thoughts  may  crowd  my  mind  but  pass  un- 
noticed. To  me  the  experience  is  of  more  than  earthly 
pleasure.  To  me  it  was  worth  my  life  to  view  the 
grandeur,  sweetness,  and  profuse  display  of  man  and 
nature  in  the  earth's  broad  circumference. 

To  see  nature  in  all  her  wealth  and  loveliness,  I 
knew,  necessitated  my  meeting  her  at  her  home.  With 
native  man  it  is  not  a  whit  different,  not  with  beast  or 
bird.  To  accomplish  this  there  is  needed  something 
more  than  money,  something  more  than  time. 
Health,  intelligent  attention  and,  not  least,  great 
physical  and  moral  strength  and  courage.  If  you 
possess  these,  and  a  good  command  of  the  English, 
Spanish,  German,  French  and  Italian  languages,  you 
are  well  equipped  for  a  world-wide  tour,but  not  without. 
My  college  education  came  to  my  rescue  on  every 
emergency,  and  with  the  exception  of  the  Hindustanee 
of  India,  I  lost  none  of  my  precious  time  in  study 
during  my  whole  trip.  Much  wisdom  is  required  in 
selecting  your  wardrobe,  as  well  as  pecuniary  means. 
Warm  wraps  are  as  necessary,  as  light  and  firm  cloth- 
ing, for  the  tropics.  In  six  hours  and  even  less,  the 
atmosphere  may  change  from  sultry  to  cool,  from  hot 
to  wintrv  blast,  but  one  valise  for  each  hand  is  all  in 
quantity  that  it  is  wise  to  carry.  Much  valuable  time 
is  often  thus  saved  on  trains  and  steamers,  and  ease  of 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  9 

transportation  as  well  as  of  stowing  away  in  cabin,  so 
greatly  conducive  to  one's  comfort  and  convenience, 
demands  this.  Three  things  are  often  forgotten  in  the 
outfit  which  are  necessary  to  any  enjoyable  sea  voyage, 
a  good  easy  shoe  or  slipper  for  the  feet,  a  powerful 
field-glass  for  the  eye,  and,  most  of  all,  a  closely  fitting 
hat  or  cap  for  the  head.  To  suffer  from  the  sun  or  to 
suffer  from  tight  boots  is  equally  unnecessary.  If  you 
are  well  equipped,  though  you  pass  through  the  Red 
Sea  with  the  thermometer  at  190  degrees,  as  it  was 
August  9,  1887,  or  160  degrees  in  the  shade,  as  it  was 
on  my  trip,  you  experience  no  actual  suffering,  but 
welcome  evervthins:  with  some  deo;ree  of  comfort. 
Heat  and  cold  can  be  largely  neutralized  by  proper 
diet,  and  by  travelling  first  class  on  any  respectable 
mail-boat,  reasonable  comfort  and  pleasure  are  always 
to  be  found. 


10         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 


CHAPTER    II. 

The  sea,  the  deep  blue  sea. 

No  one  realizes  the  maritime  importance  of  such 
eastern  ports  as  Boston  .and  New  York  as  the  traveller. 
The  tons  of  shipping,  the  majestic  ocean  steamers  and 
the  officious  but  necessary  little  tug  boat  soon  disap- 
pear from  view  as  one  goes  southward,  and  in  but  a 
feeble  way  appear  again  until  you  have  travelled  up 
the  long  Pacific  coast  to  San  Francisco.  The  same  is 
nearly  true  in  the  Orient.  Yokohama  and  Nagasaki 
in  Japan,  Shanghai  and  Hong  Kong  in  China,  Singa- 
pore and  Penang  in  the  tropical  Straits  Settlements, 
and  Calcutta  and  Bombay  in  India,  are  the  only  ports 
on  the  Pacific  and  Indian  oceans  which  furnish  the 
traveller  with  anything  like  the  busy  scenes  of  even 
our  contracted  Boston.  I  took  passage  from  New 
York  one  lovely  morning  in*  a  long,  trim  steamship, 
lightly  loaded — and  as  lightly  officered  and  manned — 
the  captain  being  a  perfect  gentleman,  but  with  abilities 
that  would  have  shone  less  dimly  as  a  lecturer  to  a 
young  men's  literary  club,  who  entrusted  the  naviga- 
tion of  the  vessel  to  the  third  officer,  aged  about  twenty 
years,  whose  common  cry  in  a  storm  was  "  ('ome,  gen- 
tlemen, please  assist  us  to  take  in  this  sail,"  while  his 


/X  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  11 

superior  stood  by  dudishly  twirling  his  eye  glasses  and 
smoothing  an  illfitting  pair  of  yellow  kids,  intended  to 
keep  his  hands  from  tanning.  From  Sandy  Hook  to 
Barnegat  light  the  ocean  looked  its  prettiest ;  but  from 
that  point  to  Cape  Hatteras,  where  the  Monitor  went 
down  during  the  war  of  the  Rebellion,  the  boat  played 
like  a  dolphin,  pulling  herself  up  here  and  rolling  first 
on  one  side  then  on  the  other,  till  our  heads  pleaded  for 
rest,  and  many  a  stomach  for  relief.  My  strong,  good- 
natured  Connecticut  companion  soon  began  to  look 
worried,  then  anxious,  and  hastily  retired  below.  The 
lovely,  wide  awake  little  widow,  who  had  all  the  voyage 
entertained  us  with  her  wit  and  wisdom,  suddenlv 
ceased  with  a  convulsive  ''  I  won't,  there  !  "  But  she 
did.  The  sudden  blanching  of  the  face  and  a  feeble 
look,  half  sickly,  half  frightened,  led  us  to  help  her  to 
seclusive  preparation  for  so  unequal  a  contest.  The 
little  girl  and  boy  of  one  of  the  chief  engineers,  who 
had  romped  around  the  hurricane  deck  until  they  began 
to  gasp  and  cry,  w-ere  also  beyond  consolation.  It  was 
a  complete  triumph  of  the  playful  sea  over  boastful 
and  self-willed  man.  Why  I  never  suffered  from  sea 
sickness  is  beyond  my  comprehension.  When  I  first 
perceive  others  falling  under  its  influence,  I  throw 
myself  completely  under  my  strongest  will  power,  and 
keep  my  imagination  and  senses  under  constant  con- 
trol. If  that  can  account  for  my  escape,  it  is  well 
worth  the  fullest  trial,  for  surely  nothing  can  exceed 


1 2  PLEASANT  HO URS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

the  annoyance,  the  abject  misery,  both  in  feature,  form 
and  sense,  than  that  of  this  bold  enemy.  Uniform, 
gay  trappings,  and  kid  gloves  to  our  captain,  pall  upon 
the  sight.  The  gallant  third  officer  sighs  for  his  mother 
and  for  but  one  square  foot  of  her  garden  patch.  But 
enough  !  Too  much  !  Captain  and  third  officer  soon 
got  on  the  bridge  together,  as  a  heavy  fog  loomed  up 
and  around  us,  making  the  passage  extremely  perilous, 
and  the  poor  stricken  passengers  below  trembled,  as 
ever  and  anon  they  heard  the  shrill  fog  whistle  shriek 
out  the  dismal  warning  of  danger.  The  second  day  out, 
the  sun  was  unbearable,  the  rays  striking  the  flesh  as  if 
drawn  by  a  powerful  burning  glass,  so  that  all  impru- 
dent enough  to  forsake  the  awning  were  soon  red  and 
swollen  on  hands,  neck  and  face,  so  as  to  be  hardly 
recognizable.  It  was  the  severest  lesson  of  the  kind  I 
have  ever  experienced,  but  it  saved  me  from  the 
scorching  heat  of  India  and  Arabia  farther  on,  and 
possibly  from  fatal  injury  fromsun  stroke.  This  day, 
and  for  days  after,  we  were  constantly  welcomed  by 
flying  fish,  dolphins  and  porpoises,  but  saw  but  very 
few  vessels  except  schooners. 

On  the  third  day  we  met  a  brig  bound  for  Europe, 
and  a  horrible  man-eater  in  her  wake.  From  the  2od 
parallel  north  latitude  to  the  same  parallel  south, 
nothing  is  more  common  than  this  species  of  shark, 
and  many  a  time  I  have  seen  a  native  swim  out  from 
the  shore,  with  a  long,  sharp  instrument  between  his 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  13 

teeth,  until  he  had  attracted  the  attention  of  this  savage 
monster,  and  then  cunningly  snatching  the  weapon, 
with  a  lightning-like  thrust,  pierce  his  hated  victim 
until  the  water  grew  red  with  blood.  Alas  for  the  un- 
happy native  if  he  miss  his  first  aim  ;  a  furious  lashing 
of  the  water,  a  heartrending  shriek,  and  both  fish  and 
man  quickly  disappear  from  sight.  Yet  in  Japan  I 
afterward  saw  the  shark  commonly  exposed  in  the 
markets  for  sale  for  food.  A  clear  case  of  love  for 
your  enemies. 

The  fourth  day  out  we  sighted  the  Bermudas,  lying 
low  with  an  angry  sea  between.  I  was  told  that  the 
Gulf  Stream  is  ii8  to  i6o  miles  wide  in  this  latitude, 
and  that  our  crossing  was  nearly  at  right  angles,  to 
save  time  and  coal. 

When  off  St.  Augustine,  Florida,  we  met  a  West  In- 
dia steamer  bound  for  New  York,  both  of  us  rolling  and 
pitching  about  in  a  way  more  alarming  than  amusing, 
while  I  could  hardly  see  out  of  my  eyes,  they  were  so 
swollen  from  sun  burn.  Yet  I  could  see  with  joy  the 
fierce  white  caps,  and  the  black,  threatening  thunder 
clouds  lying  low  upon  the  horizon.  Nothing  at  sea  is 
so  grand,  so  instinct  with  supernatural  power,  as  a 
tropical  hurricane.  Bending  low,  as  for  a  caress,  the 
dark  wind  clouds  gently  kiss  the  slumbering  sea  till  it 
glances  up  and  smiles,  when  with  one  fierce  swoop 
they  clasp  the  deep  in  their  strong  embrace,  and  madly 
struggle  to  bear  it  heavenward. 


14         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Usually  I  arose  before  the  sun,  that  no  phenomena 
might  escape  me.  I  had  reached  the  deck  one  bright 
morning,  and  on  glancing  toward  the  east,  saw  the  sun 
just  protruding  above  the  horizon.  The  sea  all  around 
was  glowing  with  warm  color.  Higher  and  higher  rose 
the  sun,  gradually  assuming  the  appearance  of  a  golden 
balloon,  until  but  a  mere  thread  of  gold  held  it  to  the 
sea  Then,  with  a  snap,  upward  darted  the  golden 
mass,  leaving  a  pool  of  burnished  gold  in  its  bed 
beneath.  Since  then  I  have  watched,  but  watched  in 
vain,  for  the  beautiful  awakening  to  be  repeated. 

I  have  seen  the  heavenly  bodies  swing  low  at  mid- 
night in  Arabia  and  Egypt,  and  shower  upon  my  head 
their  flow  of  dazzling  meteors,  until  I  stood  transfixed 
at  the  magnificence  of  the  display.  I  have  seen,  after 
days  of  fierce  tempests,  the  mighty  deep  rise  in  its  aw- 
ful grandeur,  until,  darkly  blue,  it  o'ertopped  the  masts 
and  lolled  upward  in  our  track,  so  that  it  seemed  that  we 
must  pierce  its  heaving  mass  or  go  to  instant  destruc- 
tion, while  roll  after  roll  of  seething  foam  fiercely  pur- 
sued us  from  behind.  Such  I  have  seen,  but  in  all  my 
travels  they  have  failed  to  appear  a  second  time,  and  it 
so  fills  the  mind  with  a  sense  of  awe,  of  the  feebleness 
of  man,  of  the  power  of  nature^  that  no  single  experi- 
ence can  suffice  to  satisfy  intelligent  man  ;  but  perhaps 
it  is  better  to  have  but  once  beheld  than  not  at  all,  once 
to  have  felt  the  glow  of  heart  and  mind  expanding 
towards   the   infinite   and   omnipotent. 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD,  If) 

The  sixth  clay  out,  while  looking  over  the  rail,  I  dis- 
covered the  largest  and  most  beautiful  nautilus  I  ever 
saw.  Those  found  in  the  Pacific  are  mostly  small  and 
colorless,  but  this  had  large  pink  and  blue  sails,  and 
was  as  large  as  a  lady's  hat.  Its  long  tentacles  reached 
down  out  of  sight.  It  was  under  full  sail  and  quite 
along  side.  Large  sea  turtles  were  sleeping  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  and  masses  of  seaweed  and  driftwood, 
such  as  Columbus  met  in  1492,  indicated  that  we  were 
close  to  San  Salvador. 

This  in  fact  we  reached  in  the  afternoon.  It  was 
ominously  still.  No  Indian  to  give  us  welcome.  The 
Indian  of  Columbus  is  supplanted  by  the  strong,  lusty 
negro,  who  comes  out  with  seashells,  sponges,  and  a 
little  fruit,  and  in  passable  English  solicits  your  pat- 
ronage. The  sponge,  when  first  brought  up  from  the 
deep,  is  as  black  as  ink,  but  on  being  boiled  and  dried, 
it  assumes  the  common  light  and  yellow  color  of  com- 
merce. There  is  nothing  remarkable  about  the  island 
in  comparison  with  the  many  others  of  the  P^ahamas. 
All  seem  of  coral  formation,  and  at  noondav  each  island 
glows  like  an  emerald  set  in  opal  and  sapphire.  The 
green  of  the  grass  and  foliage  seems  unnatural  to  a 
Northern  man,  and  the  rays  of  the  sun  turn  the  sur- 
rounding water,  first  into  a  yellowish  border,  then  violet 
and  greenish  blue,  down  to  the  lively  dark  blue  of  deep 
water.  To  say  that  it  is  a  heavenly  scene  is  to  describe 
it  but  faintly.     The  same  beautiful  panorama  greeted 


1 6         PI^EASANT  HO URS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

me  in  the  East  Indies  and  afterwards  in  the  Maldive 
islands  in  the  Indian  Ocean. 

By  night  of  that  day,  we  made  the  new  revolving 
light  erected  April,  1887,  by  the  English  on  Watling's 
Island,  a  little  southeast  of  San  Salvador,  and  by 
some  claimed  as  the  first  land  discovered  by  Columbus 
in  1492.  The  following  forenoon.  Bird  Island  and 
lighthouse  loomed  up  before  us,  followed  by  Fortune 
Island  with  its  salt  pans,  bright  shore  and  cosy  ve- 
randas and  cottages.  Long  before  our  arrival,  on  my 
glass,  the  keeper,  his  wife,  and  all  his  neighbors  dis- 
tinctly appeared  around  the  base  of  the  light,  their 
dark  figures  and  glistening  eyes  and  teeth  forming  an 
amusing  silhouette. 

Tall  cocoanut  palms,  with  storm-bent  forms,  grace- 
fully   waved   their   plumed   heads   on   high,  while   the 
cedar  and  mango  trees  tempted  the  sun-burnt  traveller 
to  seek  their  grateful  shelter  and  rest.     Conical  huts 
of  palm  and  thatch  rose  here  and  there,  and,  now  and 
then,  a  blue  or  green  villa  with   double  veranda  and 
varied    awnings    told   of  the  presence  of  man.      The 
glare  of  the   noonday  sun,  and  the  opalescent  hues  of 
the  shallow  water,  so  combined  the  real  with  the  canny 
that  one  had  to  pinch  himself  to  be  assured  of  wake- 
fulness.   As  at  previous  points,  we  could  find  no  harbor 
on  account  of  the  size  of  our  vessel,  but  a  row-boat, 
manned  by  six  stalwart  darkies,  each  like    an  ebony 
statue,   soon   was   seen   approaching   for   the   mail  w^e 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLZ .  17 

had  brought  from  the  States,  followed  by  dugouts  of 
fruit,  coral  and  sponges,  paddled  by  the  same  colored 
beings,  dressed,  when  dressed  at  all,  in  bright  colored 
ribbons  and  strips  of  cotton  cloth. 

After  getting  under  way  once  more,  we  set  our  stay- 
sails to  steady  our  now  dangerously  rolling  vessel, 
and  made  for  Cape  Maysi,  Cuba,  passing  Castle  Island 
at  eleven  a.  m  of  the  same  day,  and  leaving  the  mail, 
also  leaving  our  own  mail  for  the  States.  Here  Capt. 
Kidd  had  his  stronghold.  Falling  in  with  the  trade 
winds, we  made  Baracoa  and  Cape  Maysi  the  next  day, 
where  two  steamers  and  several  sailing  vessels  glad- 
dened our  eyes.  We  were  then  but  1237  miles  from 
New  York.  Our  experience  in  this  land  of  misrule 
and  Miss  Don  Juans  was  but  a  repetition  of  that  in  the 
Bahamas — plenty  of  hot  sun,  sweet  fruits,  beautiful 
colors  and  comely  natives.  There  is  some  beautiful 
scenery  in  Cuba,  but  it  is  feeble  compared  with  that  of 
the  opposite  island  of  Hayti,  which  we  visited  the  next 
day,  and  sailed  from  early  morning  to  eve  almost  be- 
neath the  shadows  of  its  lofty  peaks  and  wooded 
slopes.  Here  at  Port  au  Prince  the  natives,  as  well  as 
the  higher  classes,  make  use  of  a  sort  of  French  lan- 
guage, while  farther  to  the  east  of  the  same  island  the 
Spanish  has  equal  adherents,  so  it  is  not  an  unusual 
experience  to  find  a  polyglot  darky,  whose  importance 
and  consciousness  of  the  same  somehow  remind  you 
of   their  uncultivated   yet  conspicuous  wilds.      These 


18         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

are  the  rendezvous  of  outlaw  and  slave,  and  seldom  trod 
by  foot  of  civilized  man.  Some  of  the  ranges  are,  how- 
ever,cultivated  to  their  very  summits,  and  had  the  heat 
not  gone  beyond  loo  degrees,  I  would  gladly  have 
accepted  an  invitation  to  spend  a  month  on  shore,  but 
my  eyes  were  ever  bent  on  the  setting  sun, so  I  bid  adieu, 
and  soon  came  to  the  onlv  island  owned  bv  the  United 
States  or  its  citizens,  in  all  this  rich  country.  It  is  the 
island  of  Navassa,  one  of  no  great  size,  but  of  value.  Its 
only  commercial  interest  is  its  trade  in  guano.  There 
were  vessels  loading  under  its  high  coast,but  I  passed  it 
by  with  but  a  call,  and  gave  myself  up  to  the  mild,  deli- 
x:ious  breezes  of  Jamaica. 

Have  you  felt  the  inspiration  of  a  coming  shower 
^fter  a  sultry  summer's  day  ?  Had  you  been  with  me, 
reclining  at  your  ease  and  drinking  in  the  spice-laden 
air  that  floated  over  the  cooling  water,  permeating  your 
clothing  and  stimulating  your  senses,  however  weary  or 
ill  in  after-life,  the  memory  would  win  a  smile  of  peace- 
ful satisfaction  that  you  once  had  really  lived. 

But  enough.  Kingston  is  much  like  other  places  in 
the  Indies,  and  needs  no  description.  Its  strong, 
finely  formed  men  and  bright,  roguish  children,  all 
travelling  to  and  fro  with  huge  baskets  or  bundles  on 
their  bri2:htlv  bedecked  heads,  are  known  to  the  world, 
so  are  its  rare  woods,  its  fruits  and  its  fragrant  spices  ; 
so  we  will  on  once  more,  with  sails  all  set  and  breezes 
free,  straight  across  the  Caribbean   Sea.      Roll,  roll! 


/A'  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE    WORLD.  19 

splash,  splash!  and  before  night  the  hurricane,  pre- 
ceded by  volley  after  volley  of  thunder,  like  a  mighty 
hand  down  on  your  head,  and  simultaneous  streaks  and 
streams  of  lightning  that  fairly  blind  the  eyes.  One 
old  sea  captain  comforted  me  with  the  story  of  one  of 
his  voyages  here,  when  one  of  his  men  standing  in  my 
very  position  near  the  mainmast,  was  suddenly  struck 
down  without  a  mark  or  scar  to  indicate  the  cause. 
"  But,"  said  he,  ''  you  need  not  move,  as  these  masts  are 
of  iron,  which  are  never  struck."  Although  my  views 
coincided,  I  no  longer  felt  interested  in  standing  by  a 
mast  in  a  storm. 

The  Caribbean  Sea  is  nothing  in  size  compared  with 
the  Atlantic  ocean,  but  it  fills  one  with  wonder  that  so 
much  that  is  rascally  and  perilous  can  be  forced  upon 
one's  defenceless  head  in  such  a  little  space.  One 
clear,  bright  night,  near  Jamaica,  in  my  study  of  the 
heavens,  I  came  across  that  beautiful  guide  of  the 
southern  mariner,  the  Southern  Cross.  I  have  seen 
it  often  since,  in  its  varied  positions,  but  here,  with 
the  dipper  and  our  polar  star  just  disappearing  in 
the  north,  its  welcome  gave  unusual  pleasure.  From 
this  time  on  constant  surprises  spring  upon  your  atten- 
tion in  the  gem-studded  sky,  until  you  are  forced  to 
regard  them,  in  setting  and  form,  as  superior  to  the 
northern  constellations.  It  is  a  wonderful  inspiration 
that  comes  to  one  on  a  clear,  still,  tropical  night,  with 
starry   gems   floating   their   varied    colors   above,  and 


20  PLEASANT  HOURS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

sparkling  animalciilai  answering  back  from  the  dis- 
turbed sea  below.  Besides  depth  and  brilliancy  of 
color  in  both  flora  and  fauna,  the  tropics  also  present 
greater  grace  and  symmetry  of  form  and  deliciousness 
of  perfume  and  flavor.  It  is  the  same  at  sea  as  on 
land.  Even  God's  bow  of  promise  holds  the  mind  en- 
tranced. As  it  spontaneously  broadens  and  brightens 
above  the  great  sea,  you  in  awe  await  the  presence  of 
the  Most  High.  But  such  revelations  are  usually 
preceded  by  fierce  gales  and  mighty  upheavals  of  the 
deep,  which  prepare  one  as  in  no  other  way  for  the 
intense  appreciation  of  the  grand  and  beautiful. 

It  was  after  such  a  struggle  of  the  elements,  when 
parallel  streams  of  electricity  jDoured  down  before  us, 
and  the  thunder  rent  our  ears  with  pain,  that  we  sighted 
the  South  American  coast — a  trackless  wilderness.  With 
marine  glass  in  hand,  I  waited  hours  for  some  sign  of 
civilization,  when,  on  sweeping  the  horizon,  my  eyes 
fastened  upon  the  waving  cocoanut  palms  and  trim 
cottages  of  Colon,  the  mouth  of  the  Chagres  river  and 
Lessep's  Panama  Canal  between.  It  lay  so  low  its 
distance  was  soon  overcome,  and  by  sunset  we  were 
alongside  of  the  wharf  and  mingling  with  the  strangest 
crowd  it  has  been  my  lot  to  meet.  Ladies  in  silk  and 
lace  walked  through  the  muddy  streets,  with  nothing 
but  a  fan  for  head  covering,  side  by  side  with  the 
native  Indians  as  quaintly  robed  as  Eve  in  the  garden 
of  Eden,  followed  by  the  native  garrison,  composed,  I 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  21 

should  say,  of  a  patriarch  and  his  children  and  grand- 
children, all  dressed  in  the  same  sized  uniform ;  so 
that  while  the  scantiness  of  the  older  suggested  cool- 
ness and  rents,  the  generous  length  and  fulness  of  the 
younger  kept  him  in  an  inglorious  perspiration,  mostly 
under  the  heels  of  his  immediate  comrades. 

Many  of  the  scenes  are  far  from  humorous.  Five 
deaths  from  the  isthmus  fever  took  place  my  first  night ; 
every  little  while  two  policemen  shambled  by,  with  a 
rough  wooden  box  on  their  shoulders,  with  a  companion 
bringing  up  the  rear.  A  protruding  arm  or  foot  needed 
no  explanation  of  the  cause.  Xo  one  is  safe  in  the 
place.  If  it  is  not  disease  it  may  be  evil  human  nature. 
Even  the  mosquito,  that  amusing  little  insect  when  in 
the  North,  becomes  a  perfect  little  fury  here.  You 
have  not  the  heart  to  destroy,  you  know,  even  if  your 
blows  were  as  accurately  as  determinedly  directed,  so 
you  gradually /<3;/z/<?r  the  little  creatures  until,  to  put  it 
mildlv,  vou  beHn  to  look  like  a  babv  with  canker  rash 
and  scarlet  fever.  If  there  is  an  exception,  it  is  that 
the  child  has  no  contusions  or  facial  protuberances 
arising  from  misguided  views  that  the  face,  with  a  few 
active  mosquitoes,  can  be  pummeled  at  will  with  impu- 
nityc  Despite  the  pests,  we  saw  the  town,  the  long 
dugouts  at  the  market  filled  with  fish,  turtles,  cocoa- 
nuts,  plantains,  bananas,  mangos  and  yams,  also  the 
long,  broad  frogs  croaking  in  the  middle  of  the 
streets,    and    as    large    as    the    spanking   hand    of    a 


22 


PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 


modern  school  teacher,   when  seen    through    a   misty 
veil  of  tears. 


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This  place  is  also  known  as  Aspinwall,  after  Capt. 
Aspinwall.of  New  York,  and  is  the  northern  terminus 
of  both  the  Panama  railroad  and  the  canal,  which  the 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD  23 

French  have  for  years  been  trying  to  construct  to  unite 
the  Atlantic  and  Pacific.     This  canal  was  one  of  my 
chief  objects  of  interest  here,   as   I   wished  to  compare 
it  with  the  Suez,  constructed  by  the  same  persevering 
and  enterprising  Lesseps.     Only  about  thirteen   miles 
are  navigable,  but  the  ground  is  broken  nearly  the  whole 
distance    to    Panama,    its    southern    terminus,    and   is 
easily  distinguished  by  long  lines  of  reddish  soil  pecu- 
liar to  this  section,  contrasting  with  the  li^ht  green  of 
the  herbao^e  on  the  surface.     No  one  here  believes  in 
the    possibility  of  its   completion.     Machinery   to   the 
amount    of    thousands    of    dollars,    un adapted    to    the 
work,  lies  exposed  to  the  severe  climate — a  total  loss. 
The  whole  country  has  been  built  up,  and,  at  the  two 
Obispos,  pretty  dwellings  adorn  the  hill  sides.   If  locks 
were  to  be  introduced  it  would  look  some  encouragmg 
towards  success,  but  to  remove  the   mountains  on   the 
lower  half  to   a  level  with  the  ocean  will  require  more 
time  and  money  than  even   the  French  national  pride 
and  energy  will  support.     Lesseps  had  a  comparatively 
easy  task  through  the  level  sand    plains    of    Eastern 
Egypt,  where  the  Bitter  Lakes  and  ancient  canal  from 
Cairo  to    Suez   only  needed  widening  and  deepening, 
but    here,    rock,    mountain,     river   and    swollen    flood 
hamper  him  at  every  step. 

Silver  is  fifty  per  cent,  premium  here,  and  a  smajl 
newspaper,  printed  by  hand,  in  English,  French  and 
German,  costs  ten  cents  per  copy. 


24         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

The  French  quarter  lies  close  to  the  terminus  of  the 
Canal,  and,  besides  its  neat  dwellings,  contains  a  park 
with  a  monument  to  Columbus  grouped  with  an  Indian 
maiden.  This  gives  the  origin  of  its  usual  name — 
Colon.  Admiral  Nelson  is  said  to  have  spent  a  large 
part  of  one  year  here,  when  pursued  by  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  and  the  French  fleet. 

One  morning  I  took  the  Panama  train  en  route  for 
the  Pacific  coast,  and  rode  from  eight  a.  m.  to  early 
afternoon  through  the  heart  of  the  isthmus,  of  which 
we  have  heard  so  many  fabulous  tales  from  the  early 
California  miners.  The  orange  and  the  jessamine  were 
in  full  bloom.  The  cocoanut,  mango,  betelnut,  banana 
and  plantain  grew  in  wild  profusion  on  either  side,  and 
the  bamboo  and  palm  lent  their  thick  jungle  to  enhance 
the  view.  Figuratively  speaking,  a  dead  body  lies  be- 
neath each  tie  of  the  line.  Hundreds  of  lives  were  sacri- 
ficed to  the  fatal  fever  during  the  construction  of  the 
road,  and  $500,000  spent  in  one  of  its  bridges  over  the 
Chao;res  river.  Even  to-dav  the  ties  are  of  lisinum  vitae, 
and  cost  from  three  to  five  dollars  apiece.  No  other 
wood  will  withstand  the  climate.  The  Jamaica  negro, 
the  Chinaman,  and  the  native  Indian,  manage  to  exist, 
but  the  latter  alone  appears  to  take  comfort,  and  that 
possibly  because  social  life  is  not  too  exacting,  and  his 
children  can  bask  at  will  in  the  birth-given  robes  of 
nature,  and  can  earn  their  living  by  merely  an  out- 
stretching  of  the    hand.       Numerous    little    and    lean 


ON    THE    SOUTH    BANK    OF    THE    PANAMA    CANAL. 


26         PLEASANT  HOURS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

black  hogs  peer  out  of  the  bamboo  huts.  Contrasted 
with  the  children,  they  are  quite  neat  and  clean.  This 
railroad  was  located  by  Col.  Hughes  and  Totten  of 
New  York,  and  was  incorporated  at  that  place  in  1849, 
but  before  completion  the  floods  made  such  havoc  that 
pretty  much  all  of  it  had  to  be  repaired.  It  was  not 
possible  to  open  it  until  1S55.  Five  thousand  men  and 
$7,500,000  were  required.  Vanderbilt  at  the  same 
time  opened  his  Nicaraguan  route. 

When  the  discovery  of  gold  in  California  was  made, 
thousands  from  the  East  flocked  thither, — some  over- 
land, and  thousands  around  perilous  Cape  Horn. 
Besides  sailing  vessels,  there  were  a  few  steamers,  such 
as  the  North  America,  which  was  seized  bv  star\ino: 
hundreds  shipwrecked  near  Panama,  and  which  was 
lost  near  shore,  leaving  her  sick  and  discouraged  pas- 
sengers on  that  inhospitable  shore  to  die  like  sheep. 
Just  as  their  last  hope  was  expiring.  I  am  told,  the  S.S. 
Lewis,  from  around  the  Horn,  with  assistance  and  pro- 
visions, hove  in  sight,  and  rescued  them  from  total 
destruction. 

When  the  railroad  opened,  everything  was  changed. 
The  long,  perilous  journey  around  the  Horn  was 
superseded  by  an  easy  and  speedy  trip  by  rail  for 
about  forty-nine  miles  through  a  tropical  paradise. 
It  is  true  the  ship  fever  was  less  faial  than  the 
fever  of  the  isthmus,  yet  the  exposure  was  so  slight 
that  comparatively  few  died   therefrom.     It   is   equally 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  27 

true  that  many  preferred  to  Avalk  across  to  paying  a  fare 
of  $50  to  $75  then  asked  for  what  we  now  get  for  but 
$5.  The  usual  steerage  passage  from  San  Francisco  to 
New  York  in  those  days  was  8150,  and  often  more,  and 
there  were  often  so  many  appUcants  for  berths  that 
$450  in  gold  were  sometimes  given  for  another's  ticket. 
But  to  go  on.  While  riding  like  Jehu,  we  saw  an  old 
Spanish  castle  and  cathedral  on  our  right,  and  a  long 
line  of  pelicans  disappearing  over  some  water.  Almost 
at  the  same  time,  Panama  was  announced.  This  place, 
with  its  orange  tree  streets  and  steep  hills,  is  more 
strange  than  Aspinwall.  Under  advice  of  our  physician, 
we  spent  only  a  day  viewing  its  old  curiosities  and 
ruins,  for  the  people  were  dying  on  every  hand.  We 
went  over  to  the  laro;e  island  owned  bv  the  Panama 
railroad,  and  aboard  the  U.  S.  man-of-war,  until  we 
could  get  a  steamer  for  Callao.  The  southern  terminus 
of  the  canal  is  just  over  the  bluff  north  of  Panama  and 
opposite  our  Marine  burial  ground,  called  Dead  Man's 
Island.  The  snow-clad  Cordilleras  of  South  America 
loomed  up  on  our  left,  with  the  old  ivy  and  shrub-man- 
tled cathedral  in  front.  Long  lines  of  dreamy  looking 
pelicans  rose  and  fell  on  the  air.  never  failing  in  their 
unerring  dives  into  the  smooth  sea  to  bring  up  a 
coveted  fish.  From  the  officers  of  the  man-of-war 
Juniata,  I  ascertained  that  King  Kalakaua  of  the 
Sandwich  Islands,  was  besieged  in  his  palace ;  that 
Queen  Kapiolani  was  fast  hastening  home  from  her 


28         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

tour  in  the  States,  and,  although  our  navy  department 
had  ordered  two  of  our  men-of-war  to  immediately  start 
for  Honolulu,  it  was  decidedly  unwise  to  visit  the  place. 
So  I  reluctantly,  and  for  the  first  and  only  time  during 
my  long  journey,  abandoned  my  plan  of  travel. 

I  was  within  7°  of  the  equator,  and  knowing  my 
course  through  Java  and  Sumatra  would  be  below  that 
circle,  I  determined  to  visit  further  South  here ;  so, 
bidding  adieu  to  the  peaceful  quiet,  the  long  line  of 
Jamaica  negroes  lustily  pulling  the  oar,  and  sending 
their  happy  chorus  over  land  and  sea,  we  stood  out  to 
sea  once  more.  On  our  right  was  the  island  from 
which  alone  drinking  water  was  obtainable ;  on  our 
left  the  rich,  yet  unproductive  mountains  of  the  United 
States  of  Columbia,  while  the  fast-setting  sun,  with 
regal  splendor,  outlined  our  course  over  the  placid 
Pacific.  What  moral  power  is  felt  at  sea  !  The  wak- 
ing day,  the  rosy,  rising  sun  stirs  the  heart  to  hopes 
and  life  ;  but  at  night  its  last  lingering  glance  falls  like 
a  fond  mother's  gaze  on  her  parting  son. 

Callao,  as  is  well  known,  is  the  port  of  Peru,  and  its 

capital,  Lima,  and  presents  quite  an  animated  scene. 

The  United  States  man-of-war  Alert  lay  at  anchor, 
ready  for  action.  As  on  the  Isthmus,  Spanish  is  the 
common  language,  and  the  Chinese  the  common  laborer 
and  trader.  Little  girls  and  boys  of  native  mothers  and 
Chinese  fathers  are  often  seen,  as  lovely  as  the  stars,  but 
shockingly  disfigured  by  shears  and  the  razor  as  soon 
as  a  trip  to  the  Flowery  Kingdom  is  contemplated. 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   IVOR  LB.  29 


CHAPTER     III. 

Where  Spanish  galleons  roved  of  old. 

FROM  the  time  of  Balboa  to  Magellan,  doubt- 
less, the  immense  expanse  of  water  between  Asia  and 
America  no  more  deserved  its  well-earned  reputation 
for  quiet  and  peacefulness  than  now,  though  the  latter 
discoverer  claims  to  have  promulgated  this  attribute 
by  giving  it  the  name  of  the  Pacific.  Pacific  it 
is  in  fair  weather,  it  is  true,  but  let  the  typhoon 
rise  in  its  might,  or  the  Sierra  Madre  mountain 
wind  tear  along  its  surface,  and  you  begin  to  regard 
the  name  as  a  capital  piece  of  irony,  or  those  old 
voyagers  a  deceiving  set  of  scoundrels.  At  Panama 
the  tide  rises  thirty  feet,  greatly  in  excess  of  the 
Caribbean  Sea,  at  the  other  end  of  the  Canal,  and, 
although  the  French  have  been  dredging  for  three 
years  there  is  little  to  show  for  it ;  another  evidence  is 
the  many  forlorn,  stranded  vessels  you  meet  every- 
where on  the  coast  up  to  San  Francisco.  The  fact  is, 
take  the  Pacific  at  any  point  in  the  same  latitude  with 
the  x\tlantic,  and  you  will  have  to  catch  it  if  you  are 
out.  A  few  days  later  I  set  out  for  the  Central  Amer- 
ican states,  through  a  sea  like  oil,  huge  sea  turtles 
sleeping  on  the  surface,  and  sea  serpents  winding  their 


30  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

way  among  and  over  them,  as  on  land.  For  days,  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  if  there  was  any  departure 
from  this  thick  fluid,  it  was  but  a  gentle  swell  of  pretty 
much  the  same  appearance.  What  monotony  !  What 
ennui  ! 

But  one  noon,  when  it  had  been  so  hot  that  we  all 
had  hardly  anything  but  a  backbone  left,  away  in  the 
distance   we   discovered  what    appeared   a  large   ship 
coming  down  upon  us  as  in  a  mirage.     The  snow-white 
foam  was   leaping    up  from   her    cutwater,   and  lo  !    a 
squall,  wind,  rain  and  hail  poured  in  upon  us  from  all 
directions.     The  awning  over  deck  was  snatched  from 
over  our  heads  with  a  boom  like  a  cannon,  and,  in  one 
short  half  hour,  we  were  driven  to  overcoat  and  gloves. 
Dear,   calm,   old  mother  ocean,  why  practise  the  wily 
arts  of  a  young  woman  !     I  must  not  forget  to    state 
that    the   apparent  vessel   was   a   death-dealing  water 
spout,  which  proved  too  far  to  starboard  to  cause  our 
ruin.     After  we  could  look  about,  we  saw  with  joy  the 
City   of    Panama,    one  of    the   Pacific  mail  steamers, 
alongside,  bound  for  Acapulco,  Mexico,  which  we  sig- 
nalled.   She  was  a  smaller  and  faster  boat,  and  was  far 
in  advance  by  the  next  morning.     When  the  elements 
rested  on  their  arms  we  saw  the  high  peaks   of  Costa 
Rica,  the  most  southern  of  Central  American  republics, 
towering  up  on  our  right,  and   apparently  ice   streams 
running  down  their  summits.    Ice  was  $90  a  ton  on  the 
Isthmus,  and  all  along  the  coast  to  Southern  California 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  31 

it  never  fell  below  $40,  while  in  most  places  it  was  $60, 
which  I  afterwards  found  to  be  the  price  in  Singapore 
and  the   East  Indies. 

The  soil  of  Costa  Rica  is  red,  and  contains  rich  de- 
posits of   gold,   silver  and   antimony,   while    on  every 
hand  miles  of  valuable  timber  greet  the  eye,  down  to 
the   water's  edge,    primeval  groves,   trackless    forests, 
and  only  3500  miles  from  San  Francisco,  less  than  half 
that   distance   from    Acapulco,  which    should    be    con- 
nected   with    Mexico   City  and    the    Mexican    Central 
railroad  just  as  soon  as  circumstances  will  allow.      The 
sea    became    as    wavy  as   in    a    shower,    and    Spanish 
mackerel  and  porpoise   leaped   up   on  every  hand,  fol- 
lowed  bv    the    uo-lv    dorsal    hn     of    the    shark    slowlv 
cutting  through  the  glassy  surface,     ^^'e   here   met  two 
steamers  and  passed  two.    Turri  Alba,  12.500  feet,  and 
Chiriqui,  11,265  feet  high,  both  volcanos,  appear,  with 
Los  Votos,  9,800  feet  above  us  all.   In  close  company  of 
an  ideal  thunder  storm,  we  steamed  into  the  pretty  bay 
of  Punta  Arenas.     It  has  a  beautiful  beach   and  roll- 
ing surf  ;  but  this  port,  like  all  on  the  Pacific  coast  up  to 
California,  affords  no  wharfage  for  large  steamers.    All 
goods  as  well  as  passengers    are  conveyed    to   land  in 
small  boats  or  lighters. 

We  found  coffee,  sugar,  cocoa,  sarsaparilla,  oranges, 
bananas  and  other  freight,  awaiting  us,  and  we  took  the 
opportunity  to  see  the  country.  For  three  dollars  we 
secured  a  native  boat,  and,  after  running  into  and  carry- 


32  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS. 

ing  away  the  line  of  two  young  ladies  too  intent  on 
fishins:  to  notice  that  thev  had  unwittinHv  become 
fishers  of  men,  were  rapidly  rowed  to  a  high  iron  pier. 
It  had  a  covering  of  like  material,  the  only  thing  that 
is  safe  from  the  sea-worms.  We  were  soon  out  on  the 
smooth  beach,  which  was  so  free  from  rock,  stone  or 
pebble,  as  to  seem  ground  in  a  mortar.  It  was  the 
Sabbath,  and  an  old,  but  silvery  chime  was  ringing  the 
devout  Catholic  to  service.  The  prevailing  language  is 
Spanish,  so  I  was  not  surprised  to  find  the  religion 
Catholic.  In  fact,  all  through  Central  America  and 
Mexico,  I  found  this  to  be  true.  We  walked  from  the 
beach  up  to  a  wide  avenue  shaded  with  orange  trees 
laden  with  fruit,  by  open  houses,  with  goods  and  fruit 
exposed  for  sale, — long  strips  of  beef  sun-dried  and 
sold  by  the  yard,  side  by  side  with  Panama  hats,  selling 
from  five  to  ninety  dollars  apiece  ;  sugar  in  large  cakes 
as  dark  as  its  owner,  cheese  as  white  as  the  lace  of  the 
plump,  half -dressed  maidens  gliding  about,  and  fiowers 
rivalling  all  else  in  their  splendor  and  fragrance.  But 
cost,  do  not  speak  of  it !  It  is  the  common  impression 
that  everything  is  given  away  in  the  tropics.  If  you 
have  that  impression  still,  stay  at  home,  for,  although 
one  receives  many  a  little  tribute  of  unsophisticated 
nature  from  the  people,  the  foreigner  is  generally  re- 
garded as  a  bonanza. 

I  need  not  stop  to  explain.     A  button  hole  bouquet 
costs  fifty  cents,  my  friend.      Stay  at  home  if  you  wish 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  33 

to  travel  and  not  pay  dearly  for  it.  Yes,  stay  at  home. 
The  houses  are  one-story,  with  tile  roofs,  and  no  chim- 
neys or  glass  windows.  As  in  all  the  tropics,  iron 
window  bars  serve  to  keep  out  the  lawless.  Long 
rows  of  cactus  hedge  separate  the  lots,  and  make  an 
impenetrable  barrier.  Buzzards  were  on  the  house 
tops,  in  the  streets  and  under  foot,  and  to  kick  one 
of  the  ugly  pests  would  call  down  the  ire  of  the 
whole  town,  for  thev  are  so  necessarv  to  the 
health  of  the  country,  so  useful  in  destroying  in- 
sect and  reptile,  they  are  become  almost  sacred. 
But   ugh,   the   nasty  birds.! 

Long  lines  of  covered  two-wheeled  ox-carts  toiled 
into  the  town,  with  hides,  tallow,  copper,  sugar  and 
fruit,  each  drawn  bv  two  or  three  voke  of  cattle,  the 
only  beast  of  burden.  There  was,  however,  a  short 
line  of  railwa}'  building,  by  Northern  men,  to  expe- 
dite commerce,  but  so  short  as  to  be  of  no  great 
importance.  Monkeys  and  parrots  filled  your  eyes 
with  laughter  and  your  ears  with  confusion  ;  and  to 
step  out  into  the  woods  was  to  make  the  acquaintance 
of  the  American  leopard,  bear  and  lion,  the  skins  of 
which  hung  exposed  on  every  dwelling.  It  is  unfair 
to  pass  by  this  place  without  speaking  words  of 
praise  for  the  women,  and  yet,  words  but  ill  express 
either  admiration  or  appreciation. 

The  native  Indian,  and  the  mixed  Spanish  and 
native   resemble   the    majority  of    Mexicans   in   dress, 


34  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

manners  and  personal  appearance.  The  native  is  slim 
and  graceful,  the  Mestiza  plump,  lovely  and  womanly, 
both  of  which  classes,  simply  dressed  in  white,  with 
ornaments  of  taste,  impress  one  with  a  sense  of  gen- 
uineness that  her  Northern  sister  rarely  can.  It 
seemed  to  be  but  the  outward  manifestation  of  a  pure, 
true  soul,  fresh  from  the  hand  of  God,  very  like  the 
beauty  and  fragrance  of  a  flower ;  and  ever  afterward 
I  found  in  the  tropics  the  same  fragrant  and  sponta- 
neous purity  of  life,  that  put  to  shame  higher  civiliza- 
tion, and  proved  it  selfish  and  cruel.  The  fare  to  San 
Francisco  from  here  is  $90  in  gold. 

Reluctantly  bidding  adieu,  we  left  the  beautiful  bay 
with  the  sun,  and  steamed  slowly  into  the  Pacific.  The 
next  morning  we  were  out  of  sight  of  land,  and  in  the 
midst  of  Nature's  celebration  of  thunder  and  lightning. 
The  stars  and  stripes  floating  at  the  masthead  received 
the  ovation  as  peculiarly  their  own,  for  it  was  the  glorious 
"  Fourth  of  July."  Before  noon  thirteen  different 
nationalities  were  gleefully  exploding  fire  crackers,  tor- 
pedoes and  jokes.  After  songs  and  games  in  the 
saloon,  it  was  found  that  there  was  on  board  an  Italian 
with  a  hand  organ  and  little  girl.  After  collecting  ten 
dollars  for  a  bribe,  we  prevailed  on  him  to  give  an  en- 
tertainment. The  rigging  was  full  of  monkeys  and  pet 
birds,  and  we  soon  held  such  a  carnival  that  would 
have  dumbfounded  the  natives  themselves.  The  organ 
proved  treacherous,  and  from  time  to  time  would  refuse 


JX  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  35 

to  sing,  though  the  ItaHan  anxiously  increased  the 
speed  of  the  crank,  until  it  seemed  impossible  for  the 
machine  to  hold  together.  A  medical  friend  undertook 
to  doctor  it,  but  ^vith  as  little  success  as  on  some  of  his 
patients,  for,  although  none  of  the  little  painful  stop- 
pages longer  occurred,  no  sooner  did  it  approach  the 
end  of  a  bar  than  it  ran  screeching  up  into  a  high 
falsetto,  or  a  laughable  zip,  zip,  zip,  that  frightened  the 
monkey,  saddened  the  girl,  and  quite  dismayed  the 
"Duke"  himself. 

But  it  was  a  happy  celebration  in  spite  of  the 
thoughts  of  far  distant  friends  at  home.  The  only  oc- 
currence to  mar  the  pleasure  was  the  slaughter  on  deck 
of  an  ox,  as  was  the  custom  and  need  once  in  tw^o 
days.  All  large  steamers  on  the  mid-Pacific  carry 
oxen,  sheep,  swine  and  poultry,  to  kill  for  fresh  food. 
The  noble  animal  was  led  out  from  its  pen  by  a  strong 
rope  fastened  to  its  horns  and  made  fast  to  the  wind- 
lass of  the  donkey  engine,  and  when  the  butcher,  with 
bare  arms  and  head,  had  finished  whetting  his  murder- 
ous blade,  he  gave  the  signal  for  the  engine  to  start, 
and  to  gradually  drag  the  poor  beast  to  its  knees. 
Lowing  wath  fright,  it  sank  down,  scattering  everything 
within  reach  in  its  furious  struggles  to  escape.  This 
had  once  happened  on  the  voyage,  to  the  injury  of 
many  and  the  loss  of  one  life.  Lower  and  lower  sank 
the  head,  when,  darting  forward,  the  butcher  thrust  his 
knife  straight  down  behind  the  horns,  and  with  a  loud 


36  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

groan,  the  mighty  beast  fell  over  dyed  in  gore.  In  a 
trice  the  hide  was  off  the  quivering  flesh,  and  the  body 
hanging  to   the  halliards. 

How  unhappy  the  thought  that  the  life  of  man 
depends  on  taking  the  life  of  others !  We  seldom 
think  of  the  vegetable,  but  how  rarely  of  the  poor 
brute !  If  you  do  this,  can  you  blame  the  poor  ship- 
wrecked mariner  for  thirsting  for  the  blood  and  flesh 
of  his  weaker  comrade  .''  Or  is  it  a  joy  to  the  brute 
to  die !  Not  far  from  this  is  the  modern  fabric  of 
society.  Those  who  have  no  thought  or  fear  of  pun- 
ishment, drive  rough  shod  over  their  suffering  fellows, 
little  thinking  that  might  is  not  right,  and  that  even 
on  the   morrow  a  day  of  reckoning  may  come. 

But  to  return.  A  large  right  whale  came  alongside 
and  threw  up  torrents  of  water  while  blowings  as  if 
joining  in  our  festivity.  After  our  tea  we  disrobed  our 
gaily-dressed  spars  and  rigging  of  their  bunting  and 
streamers,  and  made  the  upper  air  alive  with  Roman 
candles  and  sky  rockets  ;  but,  as  if  in  sport,  the  mighty 
elements  of  wind  and  water  swept  down  upon  us,  and 
furnished  our  startled  eyes  with  so  vivid  and  frightful 
a  display  of  Nature's  own  pyrotechnics  that  we  felt 
cheap  and  insignificant. 

The  next  day  we  dropped  anchor  off  the  town  of 
Libertad  in  San  Salvador,  which  lies  low  with  high 
peaks  of  volcanic  origin  in  the  background,  one  of 
which,  north  of  Dos   Hermanos,  is  particularly  attrac- 


I.V  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   IVOR  LB.  37 

tive  both  in  height  and  outhne.  We  found  the  capital 
of  the  repubUc  twelve  miles  inland  and  of  the  same 
name,  San  Salvador.  The  national  flag  is  not  very  un- 
like ours,  as  is  the  case  with  all  these  little  republics. 
Indigo,  an  uncommon  product  in  America,  is  largely- 
grown,  and  balsam  is  also  an  export.  The  place  has 
its  barracks,  but  no  formidable  soldiery.  The  president 
was  once  obliged  to  come  aboard  and  stay  till  an 
insurrection  had  been  quelled.  The  surf  is  high  and 
grand,  the  coast  resembling  that  of  Nantasket. 

While  viewing  the  background  the  first  morning,  my 
glass  nearly  fell  from  my  hands  as  I  saw  in  the  distance 
the  long-desired  flash  and  puff  of  a  living  volcano.  It 
sent  up  a  long  coil  of  smoke  every  fifteen  minutes 
by  my  watch,  which  rose  and  disappeared,  only  to 
be  followed  by  another  and  another.  I  had  watched 
Vesuvius  and  other  smaller  elevations,  but  thev  had 
refused  all  entreaty  or  threats  to  exhibit ;  so  to  see, 
after  many  years,  this  clock-work  regularity  of  volcanic 
action,  was  as  novel  and  unexpected  as  it  was  grand.  I 
saw  further  North,  and  in  Japan,  fully  as  interesting 
exhibits  of  power  and  grandeur,  however.  The 
steamer  South  Carolina,  once  used  in  the  Rebellion,  I 
believe,  as  a  war  vessel,  steamed  up,  around,  and  away 
again  without  stopping.  There  came  two-wheeled  cov- 
ered carts,  drawn  by  yokes  of  patient  oxen,  slowly 
rolling  down  the  trail  to  the  town.     Here,  as  in  South- 


38         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

* 

ern    Asia,    sticks  or    pieces    of   bamboo    are    used  in 
place  of  figures  for   counting. 

After  finding  nothing  new  in  the  people,  we  set  sail 
again  for  Acajutla,  also  in  San  Salvador.  The  coast  is 
unlike  that  South,  being  low  lying  instead  of  ranges  of 
steep  hills  or  mountains,  although  high  peaks  loom  up 
in  the  far  distant  interior.  The  volcano  Izalcho  was 
constantly  in  sight.  There  is  a  fine  sandy  beach  and 
prettily  curving  bay.  We  found,  also,  interesting  relics 
of  green  stone,  and  an  old  ruin  on  the  plain  outside  of 
the  town.  We  frequently,  on  our  journey,  found  what 
appeared  to  be  Aztec  ruins — arches,  columns,  altars, 
and  little  stone  images,  but  got  no  satisfactory  account 
of  their  origin.  The  houses  resemble  those  in  Southern 
United  States,  and  look  more  inviting  than  at  any 
point  yet  reached. 

From  Acajutla  we  set  sail  for  San  Jose,  Guatemala, 
which  surpasses  even  Naples  in  the  beauty  of  its  bay 
and  surrounding  peaks.  Long  lines  of  surf  were  roll- 
ing in  upon  a  wide,  smooth  beach,  filling  the  ear  with 
nature's  choicest  music.  Birds  of  brilliant  plumage 
flitted  through  the  thick  foliage,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
few  dwellings  and  storehouses  near  the  wharves,  the 
scene  would  have  been  of  primaeval  grandeur  and 
simplicity.  Several  of  the  dwellings  were  two-storied, 
each  storv  havins:  its  cool  veranda.  Awav  back  in  the 
distance  rose  two  clearly  cut  peaks  hiding  their  heads 
in  the  clouds,  and  further  south,  forming  a  symmetrical 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  39 

valley,  rose  another  conical  giant,  so  beautiful  in  its 
proportions  and  outline,  I  recall,  in  all  my  trip,  no 
rival,  except  perhaps,  Fusiyama  in  Eastern  Japan. 
One  of  the  pair  of  mountains  is  the  volcano  De  Fuego, 
which,  some  years  ago,  suddenly  broke  out  and  de- 
stroyed Antigua,  the  old  capital  at  its  foot. 

The   new  capital  is  on  a   plain   some  twenty  miles 
inland,  which  we  found  connected  by  rail,  so  we  were 
spared  the  fatigue  of  a  ride  in  the  saddle.     Like  all 
things  of  beauty  and  attractiveness,  its  superiority  is 
offset  by  insuperable  difficulties  to  pleasant  enjoyment. 
Earthquakes,  as   well   as   volcanic   eruptions,  keep  the 
Republic  in  a  state  of  chronic  uneasiness.     Mould  and 
decav  attack  and  destrov  leather  and  cloth  in  a  most 
discouraging  manner,  and  the  centipede    and  scorpion 
are  frequent,  although  unbidden,  guests.  Nor  is  it  pleas- 
ant to  have  one  side  of  your  face  in  the  possession  of 
a  gigantic  tarantula.     Vet  the    rare  birds,    species  of 
wood  and  timber,  not  to  omit  the  fertility  of  the  soil, 
in  part  compensate  for  these  dangers  and  discomforts, 
and  farm  houses  are  jioing  up  everywhere,  and  modern 
machinery   coming  fast  into   use.      Sugai-,   coffee,  and 
timber  are  the  chief  exports.     For  forty  miles  the  line 
beach  extends  northward,  giving  the  native  a   natural 
and  easy  road  to  the  seaport.     Although   one  misses  a 
high  degree  of  intelligence  in  the  people,  f.dr  mechan- 
ical skill  is  disclosed  in  their  artistic  pottery. 

In  my  rambles  through  the  country,  two  strange  but 


40         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

interesting  sights  surprised  me, — one  away  from  the 
haunts  of  man,  the  other  under  his  full  protection.  In 
a  thicket  seldom  visited,  except  by  reptiles  and  wild 
beasts,  I  one  day  met  the  raie  and  beautiful  national 
bird  of  the  Republic.  It  is  so  shy  that  the  eye  of  man 
rarely  catches  but  a  glimpse.  There  it  perched,  in 
its  black,  green  and  gold,  with  a  body  and  beak  like  a 
parrot,  and  three  long  feathers  floating  down  with  all 
the  colors  of  the  rainbow  to  the  extent  of  from  three 
to  four  feet.  The  other  experience  was  far  from  wild 
woods  and  in  a  place  of  safety,  and  although  I  had 
often  observed  a  murderous-looking  knife  and  a  brace 
of  revolvers  decorating  the  waist  of  the  people,  I 
started  when,  one  morning,  I  was  accosted  in  Spanish 
by  a  soft  feminine  voice,  and  beheld  a  lovely,  dark- 
eyed  maiden,  with  rich  olive  complexion  and  long  silk 
eyelashes,  standing  like  a  picture  straight  from  the  can- 
vas, close  at  my  side.  A  simple  string  of  white  pearls 
clasped  her  throat,  relieved  by  her  pure  complexion  on 
one  side  and  a  border  of  rare  lace  on  the  other,  her 
slight,  graceful  form  enveloped  in  a  robe  of  fleecy 
texture  and  whiteness.  She  almost  took  my  breath 
away.  As  with  the  macaw  in  the  thicket,  my  first  im- 
pression was  of  beauty,  but  a  second  glance  revealed  a 
revolver  nestling  amid  the  lace  of  her  belt,  and  from 
her  graceful  shoulders  a  carbine  hanging,  a  book  of 
poems  and  a  nosegay  in  her  hand,  and  all  sense  of  loveli- 
ness suddenly  changed  to  wonder. 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  41 

As  nothing  is  farther  from  my  object  than  to  be  sen- 
sational, I  omit  my  personal  experiences,  and  also  the 
private  history  of  those  I  meet.  I  merely  note  this 
peculiar  experience  as  being  not  so  very  uncommon  in 
countries  of  so  unstable  a  government  as  Guatemala 
and  other  places  in  its  neighborhood.  This  isolated, 
refined  woman,  transformed  by  force  of  necessity  into 
an  Amazon,  possessed  a  firm  little  chin  indicative  of 
adequate  ability  to  protect  others  also.  In  fact,  I 
might  give  several  pointed  illustrations  of  this. 

At  last,  I  took  steamer  for  Champerico,  Guatemala, 
but  on  account  of  the  high  surf,  rolling  and  pitching 
us  about,  we  were  obliged  to  wait  amid  its  hollow  roar 
and  sublime  beauty  until  the  next  morning  before  we 
could  get  out  of  the  bay.  Champerico  boasts  of  one 
large  two-story  house  with  a  cupola,  a  sight  I  had  not 
seen  for  weeks  if  not  months,  a  wharf,  and  a  few  well- 
constructed  houses  in  its  neighborhood,  with  a  group 
of  native  thatched  huts  in  the  distance.  Five  high 
peaks  are  in  full  view,  one  inland,  that  of  an  active 
volcano.  Mile  after  mile  of  wide,  sandy  beach  stretches 
out  before  one  with  heavy  growth  of  timber  on  its 
upper  border.  Both  rice  and  the  cocoanut  palm  would 
flourish,  and  yield  large  returns  on  such  soil  as  is 
found  here. 

Our  vessel  rode  so  high  that,  in  disembarking,  use 
had  to  be  made  of  a  saloon  chair,  raised  and  lowered 
by   the    donkey   engine.     The    sensation    of   spinning 


42  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

around,  was  far  from  pleasant,  to  say  nothing  of  rising 
high  in  the  air,  swinging  out  over  the  water  in  oscilla- 
tion liUe  an  unsteady  pendulum,  and  then  descending 
with  forty  million  jerks,  each  enough  to  send  your 
heart  into  vour  mouth.  Some  nativ^e  women,  half 
Indian  and  half  Spanish,  left  us  here,  much  to  my  regret, 
as  in  my  leisure  moments  I  never  tired  of  studying 
them.  Northern  Guatemala  differs  very  little  from  the 
Southern.  Sixteen  hundred  bas^s  of  coffee  and  sugar 
were  carried  aboard  the  vessel  for  the  North,  but  I 
found  a  great  want  of  capital  and  need  of  modern 
machinery  everywhere. 

When  ready,  I  left  for  Acapulco,  the  oldest  Western 
port    in   Mexico,  480    miles   distant.     The    time    may 
come  when  a  line  of   railway  mav  run  the  entire  len^rth 
of  the  Pacific  Coast,  but  at  the  time  I  am  writing,  rail- 
roads   are    almost    entirely    unknown.       Not    even    is 
Acapulco  connected   with   the   capital  of   Mexico,  and 
eight  days  of   steady  riding  is   required  for   that  jour- 
ney.    Travel  by  water  gives  its  own  peculiar  pleasure, 
however,  and  in  the  warm   season  is  in  every  way  pref- 
erable.    The   steamer  was   a  miniature  forest.     Mon- 
keys swung    from  the    rigging  on  every   side,  parrots 
laughed  and  scolded  from  nook  and  corner,  and  squir- 
rels  leaped   and    chattered    from    morning    till    night. 
Monkeys  are  bought  for  $3   apiece,  parrots  from  $5  to 
$8,   and  squirrels,  amadillos   and   other   animals,  from 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  43 

fifty  cents  upward.     The  squirrel  resembles  the  grey 
of  the  North,  but  differs  in  being  of  a  brown  color. 

Groups  of  thatched  huts  were  distinguished,  now 
and  then,  along  the  coast,  indicative  of  a  denser  popu- 
lation than  below.  The  Pacific  at  once  assumed  its 
glassy  and  viscous  appearance,  and  at  night  fifty  large 
sea  turtles,  at  one  time,  appeared  basking  upon  its 
surface.  As  darkness  set  in  we  seemed  to  be  plough- 
ing tnrough  molten  silver,  so  wide  did  the  disturbed 
water  throw  up  its  sparkling  phosphorescence.  It  was 
sultry  even  on  deck,  and  we  remained  up  drinking  in 
the  calm  still  night  and  the  brilliant  scintillations 
both  of  sea  and  sky,  when  suddenly  out  of  the  ominous 
stillness,  from  the  Northeast,  no  larger  than  a  man's 
hand  sprang  a  halo.  Down  upon  our  weary  heads 
burst  a  cold,  icy  wind  that  struck  to  the  marrow.  Up 
and  down,  in  and  out,  it  raged,  tearing  away  our  awn- 
ings, snapping  out  stays  and  bombarding  our  vessel 
with  gigantic  waves,  till  all  thought  or  desire  of  sleep 
quite  vanished. 

Now  sitting  up  on  her  stern,  like  a  water  fowl  flap- 
ping her  wings,  and  now  lying  sheer  over  on  her  side, 
as  if  to  take  a  complete  roll,  our  gallant  vessel  wrestled 
with  the  now  thoroughly  enraged  deep.  I  knew  now 
we  had  reached  the  Gulf  of  Tehauntepec.  h\\  the 
following  day  it  continued,  but  with  some  abatement. 
I  had  never  had  so  rough  an  experience  but  once — that 


44  PLEASAXT  HOURS  IX  SUNNY  LAXDS, 

was  when  within  two  clays'  sail  of  Queenstown,  while 
going  abroad  for  study,  just  after  leaving  college. 
But  that  was  the  Atlantic.  It  had  not  the  power  to 
deceive.  What  a  commentary  on  the  appropriateness 
of  the  term  Pacific  !  Yet  let  me  say  that  I  enjoyed 
those  two  days  and  nights,  in  their  freedom  from  mon- 
otony, from  heat  and  from  laziness,  more  than  any  on 
the  coast.  We  soon  came  in  sight  of  the  distant 
Sierra  Madre  del  Sud,  an  unbroken,  ragged  chain  of 
mountains  in  Southwestern  Mexico,  which  seemed  to 
never  leave  us  until  we  reached  port,  and  to  come 
down  to  the  verv  coast  w^ith  its  hio:h  border  of  rock. 
The  sea  became  like  oil  again. 

We  stood  off  a  pretty  little  harbor  with  thatched 
roofs  peering  up  now  and  then,  and  near  an  island 
with  a  light  house  on  our  port.  Not  far  distant  an- 
other island  rose,  on  which,  with  my  glass,  an  old 
Spanish  fort  was  discernible.  Other  islands  running 
up  to  sharp  peaks  appeared  scattered  along  until  we 
suddenly  dropped  anchor  before  a  low  coast,  with  bar- 
ren hills  on  the  north  and  high  mountains  in  the  dis- 
tance. Away  in  the  distance  I  descried  palms, 
bananas  and  large  lime  trees  shading  a  paved  way  to 
an  old  stone  fort.  I  could  see  soldiers  pacing  up  and 
down,  though  both  fort  and  guard  looked  as  though  it 
had  seen  no  mortal  since  the  time  of  Noah.  The  hull 
of  the  old  Moses  Taylor,  of  fragrant  memory  to  old 
forty-niners,  lay  like  the  skeleton  of  a  camel  in  a  desert. 


I  A'  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  45 

high  on  the  beach.  It  is  now  passed  by  with  but  a 
glance,  yet  what  joy,-  what  sadness,  what  conflict 
within  and  without,  what  despair  has  met  the  human 
soul  on  that  old  vessel !  Not  far  distant  the  Alaska, 
of  the  Pacific  mail,  also  lies  abandoned.  Near,  the  San 
Jose  is  loading.  Noble  cocoanut  palms  loom  up 
everywhere  down  to  the  water's  edge.  Securing  a 
native  boat  we  were  rowed  ashore,  and  guided  up  the 
half  paved  way  to  the  entrance  of  the  fort,  stopping  only 
to  speak  with  the  little  children  and  women  coming  from 
their  adobe  houses  by  the  wayside,  "^and  finding  an 
officer  on  duty,  received  a  polite  invitation  to  enter. 

Over  a  well  at  the  western  side,  a  well  so  ancient 
and  odd  looking,  that  one  would  be  forgiven  did  he 
imagine  that  Rebecca  must  have  once  sat  here,  is  a 
large  tablet  in  the  wall,  on  which  I,  after  a  long  study, 
made  out  the  figures  I608  cut  therein,  but  so  worn  by 
the  weather  as  to  be  hardly  legible.  The  whole  struc- 
ture is  brown,  and  crumbling  with  age,  has  an  old- 
fashioned  moat  and  long  slits  in  the  walls  for  arrow 
or  rifle.  A  mere  handful  of  men,  hardly  a  full  company, 
garrisoned  it,  but  they  might  in  one  week  fall  an  easy 
prey  to  as  many  of  their  mosquitoes.  They  were 
short,  slim  and  weak,  something  like  Uncle  Sam's 
regulars  on  the  frontier.  The  officer  wore  a  green 
plume  on  his  wide-brimmed  hat,  but  nothing  else,  ex- 
cept his  sword,  distinguished  him  from  his  comrades. 
However,  his  graciousness  is  to  be  commended. 


46         PLEASANT  HOURS  TN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Out  over  the  town  we  went,  cocoanuts,  bananas, 
aligaior  pears  and  flowers  everywhere.  Neat  little 
houses  of  white  and  blue,  disclosing  at  a  glance  the 
whole  interior  with  hammock  and  brass  bedsteads, 
and  quiet,  cool  courts  in  the  rear,  full  of  bright  birds, 
vines  and  flowers,  lined  the  neat  but  narrow  streets. 
Children,  surprised  by  our  advance,  ran  swiftly  away, 
while  man,  woman  and  child  flocked  to  their  doorways 
and  iron-latticed  window  openings,  to  watch  our  every 
movement.  For  some  distance  up  the  steep  hill  on  the 
north  are  built  stone  basins,  so  that  the  water  from 
above  runs  from  one  to  another  until  all  are  full.  All 
have  to  go  there  for  drinking,  washing  and  cooking 
purposes,  and  lucky  is  the  lad  that,  too  lazy  to  dip  out 
the  fluid  and  perform  his  laundry  work  in  his  own 
proper  vessel,  completes  his  toil  —  and  his  toilet  at  the 
same  time  —  and  escapes  out  of  said  w^ells  without  dis- 
covery. But  woe  appeareth  on  the  face  of  the  next 
comer. 

At  the  foot  of  the  lowest  of  these  stone  wells  we 
came  upon  a  party  of  boys  lazily  at  work  in  the  hot 
sun,  dressing  swine.  Many  a  poor  little  black  porker 
lay  flat  on  its  side,  with  its  hair  partly  removed,  and 
left  to  spoil  in  the  sun,  while  the  youngsters  splashed 
about  in  the  drinking  water  above.  We  were  thirsty 
and  tired.  Some  stepped  forv.-ard  and  took  up  the 
ladle  for  a  draught.  Their  hands  fell  spasmodically  to 
their  side.     They  stared  around  as  if  in  search  of  a 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  47 

gun.  Women  offered  us  fruit  and  flowers  plucked  be- 
fore our  eyes.  Next  to  the  flowers,  in  beauty  and 
fragrance,  came  the  women  and  children,  but  for  fear 
that  my  object  may  be  misconstrued,  I  will  not  descant 
upon  their  many  charms. 

Up  across  the  ancient  plaza,  with  its  old  well  and  rare 
trees,  we  entered  the  old  cathedral,  over  the  doors  of 
which  is  inscribed  a  text  in  Latin.  We  were  received 
by  the  swell  of  a  distant  organ  and  the  voices  of  the 
choir  softly  chanting  vespers.  Little  ;_'irls  with  strings 
of  pretty  white  shell  necklaces  besought  us  to  buy, 
and  choir  boys  approached  to  solicit  alms  for  the 
church.  In  the  rear  is  an  old  vine-mantled  bell- 
tower  which  speaks  of  the  early  Spanish. 

For  many  a  year  those  old  Spanish  buccaneers  and 
adventurers  sailed  up  to  this  port  on  their  way  to  and 
from  Mexico,  and  my  curiosity  was  excited  to  see  the 
old  trail  used  from  time  immemorial  over  this  course. 
Has  my  reader  ever  seen  a  burro  1  Does  he  know 
whether  he  walks  on  his  feet  or  hops  on  his  head  ?  If 
he  does,  he  knows  more  than  I  could  learn  in  this 
wild,  forsaken  country.  My  companion  was  some  six 
and  a  half  feet  in  height,  and  wore  a  hat  that  had  a 
rim  that  threw  Aunt  Keziah's  gingham  umbrella  quite 
into  the  shade.  Mounted  on  one  of  those  eccentric 
little  quadrupeds,  with  his  feet  drawn  up  to  prevent 
their  dragging  on  the  rough  ground,  a  knife  and  a 
brace    of   old-fashioned  pistols  sticking  up    from    his 


48         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

narrow  waist,  and  his  sombrero  lamely  flapping  in 
the  breeze,  lie  looked  with  surprise  that  I  should  see 
anything  comical  in  our  situation  or  appearance. 

Ah,  well,  those  were  halcyon  days,  and  I  will  not  spoil 
any  reader's  chances  of  sport  or  revelation  by  disclos- 
ing the  possibilities  of  a  personal  experience.  I  will 
say,  however,  that  we  saw  the  trail — and  much  of  the 
surrounding  ground.  If  Dickey  interrupted  an  earnest 
conversation  by  wickedly  assuming  a  perpendicular,  or 
broke  in  upon  our  ecstatic  contemplation  of  a  distant 
landscape,  with  a  startling  roar  and  sudden  activity  of 
hind  heels,  it  was  nothing  amusing ;  of  course  not. 
Only  a  bare  fact — and  often  a  bare  head  and  elbow. 
The  treasured  rosewood  cane,  with  which  I  had  been 
presented  by  a  planter  in  Guatemala,  stood  me  in  good 
use,  as  a  gentle  reminder  to  the  vixen,  that  I,  and  not 
he,  was  to  be  the  rider. 

I  used  to  read  with  wonder  how  the  angel  of  the 
Lord  met  Balaam  on  the  highway,  seated  upon  some 
such  a  steed  as  this,  and  how  the  beast  spoke  right 
out.  I  feel  convinced  that  poor  Balaam's  experience 
was,  more  than  once,  my  own,  except  there  was  no 
vision  from  heaven  to  declare  to  my  bewildered  mind 
whether  the  braying  beast  was  really  talking  or  sin '.zing. 

On  the  return  down  the  mountains  to  the  town,  the 
view  was  grand  beyond  description.  The  quiet  hour 
of  evening,  the  sinking  sun,  and  the  flood  of  silvery 
music  from  the  chimes  below,  will  never  be  forgotten. 


lA'  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.    .        49 

The  castle  of  San  Diego,  the  landlocked  harbor,  with 
its  shipping  like  huge  birds  upon  its  quiet  surface,  rise 
in  memory  like  a  dream. 

Acapulco  was  the  great  depot  for  Spain  in  her  early- 
commerce  with  Manilla  and  the  East  Indies.  Once  a  year 
a  galleon  set  out  for  that  place,  and  one  returned.  On 
its  arrival  here,  a  great  fair  was  held,  attended  by  mer- 
chants from  all  parts  of  ^Mexico.  Since  that  time  it 
has  been  overthrown  by  numerous  earthquakes,  but  it 
still  is  one  of  the  important  seaports  of  ]^Iexico,  and 
exports  vanilla,  cocoa,  indigo,  cochineal,  wool,  and 
hides,  and  exceeds  5,000  in  population.  Its  connection 
with  the  overthrow  and  capture  of  the  unhappy  Maxi- 
milian is  too  well  known  to  repeat.  The  food  is  the 
same  as  in  use  throughout  Mexico  :  tortillas  made  of 
grain,  ground  by  the  women  between  stone  rolling-pin 
and  tablet,  eggs,  frijoles,  and  fruit.  The  people  are 
not  so  neat  as  desirable,  yet  the  middle  and  upper 
classes  compare  favorably  with  New  Englanders,  both 
in  personal  appearance  and  courtesy  towards  strangers. 
The  natives,  in  rude  dugouts,  surrounded  our  steamer, 
and  patiently  awaited  our  patronage  for  such  fruits 
and  merchandise  as  they  exposed  for  sale.  The  least 
misstep  or  haste  with  the  paddle  sent  them,  goods  and 
all,  deep  into  the  water.  No  such  scene  as  Bret  Harte 
describes  now  presents  itself  to  the  eye: 

"  In  sixteen  hundred  and  forty-one, 
The  regular  yearly  galleon, 


5  0         PL  EA SA  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UNNY  L  A NDS, 

Laden  with  odorous  gums  and  spice, 
India  cotton  and  India  rice. 
And  the  richest  silks  of  far  Cathaj^ 
Was  due  at  Acapulco  Bay." 

Needing  fresh  meat,  we  took  on  board  half  a  dozen 
bullocks,  by  fastening  a  rope  about  the  horns  and  run- 
ning it  over  the  yard-arm  and  attaching  it  to  the  drum 
of  the  donkey-engine.     Slowly  starts  the  engine,  tight- 
ening the  rope  and  gradually  raising  the  animal's  head 
and  forequarters.     It  soon  stands  on  hind  tiptoe,  then 
off    swings    the    helpless   beast    into    mid-air.     Not    a 
groan,  not  a  struggle,  and  when  carried  high  aloft  and 
gently  let  down  to  deck,  no  sign  of  life,  except  a  weak 
struggle  to  rise.     I  wondered  at  this.     The  next  day, 
when    out    on    the   broad   ocean    again,  I   accidentally 
found  out  the  cause  of  all  this  want  of  animal  vigor. 
Right  before  me  and  the  sun,  hung  the  huge  dressed  car- 
cass of  one  of  these  poor  brutes.    I  could  see  nothing 
but  bones  and  a  thin  skin — call  it  flesh  if  you  will — red 
and  transparent,  uniting  the  same.    In  fact,  the  animals 
were  cactus  fed,  and  those  of  you  who  have  wandered 
over  many  a  weary  mile  of  parched  country  and  found 
nothing  but  thistles,  can  appreciate  the  situation. 

Without  recounting  other  Mexican  experiences  and 
places,  I  will  merely  mention  the  port  of  Mazatlan, 
which  is,  on  account  of  the  mines,  now  a  strong  rival 
to  Acapulco.  After  encountering  a  school  of  black- 
fish,  and  steering  clear  of  a  water-spout,  we  ran  into  a 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  51 

frightful  thunder  and  Hghtning  storm,  which,  however, 
left  us  unharmed,  and  the  sea  as  smooth  as  glass.  It 
was  on  the  first  day  out  that  I  read  in  the  ^Mexican 
newspapers  that  the  Panama  Canal  Company  had  at 
last  succumbed  to  the  inevitable.  I  need  not  sav  now 
that  the  news  was  incorrect,  but  every  one  on  board 
believed  it,  so  little  faith  had  they  that  the  French 
would  succeed.  The  second  day  we  nearly  sank  under 
another  water-spout,  but  reached  Manzanillo,  which 
will  soon  he  connected,  it  is  hoped,  by  rail  wdth  all  the 
large  cities  and  towns  in  the  centre  of  Mexico. 

But  to  go  on.  I  soon  saw  the  volcano  of  Colirna. 
The  coast  is  dotted  with  fine,  large  islands  of  white 
rock.  We  passed  Cape  Corrientes  at  3  P.  M.  that  day, 
but  at  once  stood  out  to  sea  again,  with  cloudy  sky  and 
pleasant  but  cool  breeze.  The  sea  at  night  was 
resplendent  with  scintillation,  rivalling  the  milky  way 
in  splendor.  Same  day,  passed  Las  Tres  IMorias. 
We  were  then  on  line  with  the  Sandwich  Islands.  At 
night  caught  sight  of  the  high  telegraph  station  an- 
nouncing our  arrival  at  Mazatlan.  High,  abrupt 
precipices  rose  all  around. 

With  full  speed  we  turned  into  the  channel,  and 
gracefully  curved  up  to  a  high  rock  as  if  to  pierce  it, 
and  quickly  cast  anchor,  bringing  us  up  into  close 
quarters  with  cacti  and  wild  flowers  on  its  bank.  \\'e 
must  have  been  three  miles  from  the  town,  but  with 
the  glass  I    discovered   the   high  chimney  of  a  mill,  a 


52         PLEA SA XT  HO URS  IX  S UNNY  LA ND S, 

garrison  house,  a  pretty  fortification,  a  corso,  and  an 
immense  cathedral.  At  9  P.  M.  the  quarantine  officer 
came  aboard  and  put  us  to  a  rigid  examination. .  The 
following  morning  we  found  that  we  had  anchored 
right  beneath  the  lighthouse,  which  is  built  like  an  old 
Moorish  castle.  The  harbor  was  full  of  peaked 
islands.  We  sent  on  shore  large  quantities  of  mining 
machinery,  some  Alexandrian  Turks,  a  Spanish  gen- 
tleman  from  Santander,  Spain,  and  took  on  two  New 
England  men. 

The  place  had  more  shipping  than  Acapulco.  Taking 
a  boat,  after  a  row  of  three  or  four  miles,  we  were 
landed  on  the  low  coast  and  left  to  go  where  we 
pleased.  The  cathedral  has  been  building  for  years, 
and  is  still  unfinished.  Northern  men  have  established 
a  match  factory  here,  and  one  for  making  ice.  The 
owner  told  me  that  his  match  business  was  a  success, 
but  that  his  ice  machine,  duty  and  all,  had  cost  him 
$8,000,  but,  although  he  had  large  contracts  for  this 
delicacy,  his  machine,  as  at  that  very  time,  would  get 
out  of  order-  and  necessitate  a  trip  of  hundreds  of 
miles  to  San  Francisco  to  obtain  the  needed  repairs. 
I  also  found  a  cotton  mill  and  machine  shop  in  full 
operation.  It  has  a  corso  for  bull  fighting,  a  sport 
from  which  I  kept  away  in  disgust,  although  the  horses 
and  bulls  engaged,  it  seemed  to  me,  had  not  the 
strength  to  stand  up  before  the  blast  of  a  pair  of 
bellows. 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  53 

What  interested  me,  next  to  the  people,  was  the 
specie,  ore,  and  ingots  of  soUd  silver,  constantly  going 
aboard  the  steamer  for  San  Francisco.  The  specie, 
in  the  form  of  Mexican  dollars  for  China,  was  shipped 
in  wooden  casks,  which  were  rolled  up  and  down  the 
deck  of  the  small  shore  boat  like  kegs  of  nails.  I 
doubt  the  natives  knew  the  nature  of  their  precious 
freight,  for  while  the  sea  was  sending  both  vessels  up 
and  down,  away  went  one  of  the  casks,  worth  from 
$1300  to  $2000,  and  before  it  could  be  stopped,  splash- 
dash  into  the  sea.  I  was  told,  later,  that  the  divers 
sent  in  search  returned  the  report  that  no  trace  of  it 
could  be  found.  At  the  same  time  I  was  led  to  under- 
stand that,  as  soon  as  we  had  got  under  way,  some  fine 
night  those  very  divers  would  go  straight  to  the  lucky 
spot,  and  ever  after  be  a  wonder  to  their  countrymen 
and  a  source  of  envy  to  their  neighbors  in  their  display 
of  horse  trappings  and  denaro.  It  is  difficult  to  de- 
scribe the  inordinate  pride  a  Mexican  takes  in  rigging 
out  both  himself  and  steed  in  solid  silver  and  fringe. 
Hundreds  of  pesos  are  often  squandered  in  this  way, 
and  paraded  before  a  gaping  crowd  by  many  a  vain 
and  worthless  caballero. 

The  ore  is  mostly  shipped  in  wooden  boxes,  but 
sometimes  in  bags.  It  is  a  strange  sight,  but  common 
if  you  ride  out  a  hundred  miles,  to  see  a  line  of  pack 
mules,  in  single  file  or  in  pairs,  slowly  plodding  along 
a  trail,  a  few  soldiers   on  guard,  and  three  large  silver 


54  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

bricks,  12x6x6  inches,  bulging  out  from  side  and  back 
of  the  patient  beast,  which  toils,  now  up,  now  down, 
the  rocky  steeps.  It  has  no  thought  or  knowledge  of 
the  preciousness  of  its  burden  or  the  danger  its  ex- 
posed and  tempting  appearance  invites  from  the  bold 
outlaw  infesting  the  woods  and  ravines  along  its 
unprotected  pathway.  Mazatlan  has  always  been  cel- 
ebrated for  its  black  pearls,  mineral  wealth,  not  to  say 
for  its  pirates  and  outlaws,  but  good  government  has 
of  late  much  changed  the  place. 

These  bricks  of  solid  silver  were  brought  on  board 
without  a  shadow  of  protection  or  covering,  and  depos- 
ited on  the   open  deck   under  the  feet  of  all.     They 
resembled  babbitt-metal  or    solder,    according   to   the 
refinement,  but  it    did   not    surprise    me.     The    mind 
becomes  so  accustomed  in  the  tropics,  to    gold,  silver, 
precious  stones,  and  all  that   is  beautiful  and  fragrant, 
it  would  enter  heaven  here  with   such  complacency  as 
to  astonish  its  Maker.      Thirty-seven   years   has    His 
house,     the    cathedral,    been    building,    and    is    still 
unfinished. 

When  I  boarded  my  steamer  for  San  Francisco,  I 
found  fifteen  different  nationalities  represented  by  its 
passengers.  In  conversation  with  the  owner  of  the 
ice  machine,  before  mentioned,  he  stated  that  he 
usually  made  two  tons  of  ice  daily,  and  sold  it  for  $50 
per  ton,  and  that  a  mere  hole  in  the  piping,  allowing 
the  ether  to  escape,  had  not  only  prevented  him  from 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  55 

keeping  his  contract  to  supply  steamers  then  in  port, 
but  had  obliged  him  and  his  brother  to  take  a  three 
weeks'  journey  for  repairs. 

Soon  after  leaving  the  coast,  when  near  Cape  St.  Lu- 
cas, the  temperature  fell  again.  It  served,  however,  to 
relieve  the  parched,  hot  sands  of  lower  California  and 
its  reddish  hills.  At  the  Cape  is  a  pretty  little  arch 
and  cave,  with  the  billows  rolling  up  and  through, 
almost  too  inviting  to  pass  by.  North  of  it  are  miles 
of  smooth,  yellow  sand,  which  appeared  to  be  flowing 
down  to  the  water's  edge,  giving  the  appearance  of 
drifting  snow.  Passed  Cape  Tosco,  with  high  peaks, 
followed  by  Margarita  Island  and  Cape  Lazaro.  It 
still  continued  cold.  Margarita  Island,  and  Magda- 
lena  Bay,  is  where  so  many  colonists  died  like  sheep 
for  want  of  water.  It  was  here  that  Vanderbilt's 
S.S.  Independence  went  to  the  bottom,  wrecked  by  a 
sunken  rock.  Thousands  of  ax:res  are  in  the  posses- 
sion of  a  San  Francisco  gentleman,  who  gathers  its 
orchilla  moss  for  purple  dye.  Water,  in  small  quan- 
tities only,  can  be  found,  but  even  amid  the  hundreds 
of  miles  of  barren  sand  hills  and  slopes,  the  native 
Indian,  by  instinct,  will  often  point  out  a  refreshing 
supply  by  merely  scooping  up  the  sand. 

While  speaking  of  the  mining  trains,  I  forgot  to 
state  that  the  average  load  allowed  by  the  owner  of  a 
mule  is  about  300  pounds,  for  a  burro  200,  and  that 
silver    ingots    usually  weigh    from   90   to    150  pounds 


56         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

apiece,  so  these  are  usually  strapped  to  the  pack- 
saddle,  and  although  the  load  looks  light  and  attractive, 
it  re  ally  forms  no  small  burden  in  this  mountainous 
c  ountry.  Taking  into  consideration  that  in  many  cases 
the  government  guard  is  made  up  of  convicts,  and  that 
the  government,  not  the  convict,  gets  the  pesos,  it  is 
not  difficult  to  see  the  peculiar  unhappiness  and  risk 
of  the  whole  business. 

The  duties,  too,  are  as  great  a  source  of  loss  and 
annovance  A  voung:  man  I  met  in  the  mines  told  me 
that  he  bought  a  saddle  in  San  Francisco  for  $40,  and 
when  he  brought  it  ashore  at  Mazatlan  he  was  obliged 
to  pay  a  like  sum  for  duty.  Machinery  is  treated  in 
the  same  way,  and  the  diamond  drill,  and  other 
improved  machinery,  is  now  considered  indispensable 
to  keep  in  advance  of  the  native  miners. 

Now  that  I  am  leaving  the  unfrequented  tropical 
countries,  I  would  like  to  say  something  about  their 
strange  fruits  and  flowers,  but  it  is  so  difficult  to  convey 
the  sense  of  flavor  or  loveliness,  I  shall  leave  the  subject 
to  oblivion.  The  orange,  banana,  pine  apple,  cocoanut 
and  sweet  potato  are  common,  in  one  form  or  another, 
to  all;  but  the  lime,  tamarind,  vanilla,  cocoa,  betel  nut, 
yam,  plantain,  mango,  guava,  mammee  and  papaw  apple, 
alligator  pear,  and  many  others,  are  to  most  of  you  unseen, 
if  not  quite  unknown.  There  is  a  variety  of  banana 
called  the  fig  banana  which  is  also  never  seen  North, 
but  all  these  are  as  common  here  as  the  apple  is  at 


IX  A   TOUR  AKOUXD  THE   WORLD.  57 

home.  July  i6,  my  diary  states,  was  as  cold  as  Green- 
land, though  flying  fish  and  the  large  bird  called  the 
booby  were  thick  about  us,  and  often  overshot  their 
mark  and  landed  on  deck,  and  soon  became  the  prey  of 
passenger  and  crew. 

Black  Warrior  Lagoon,  with  the  hills  of  Northern 
Lower  California  in  full  view,  where  seal  fishing  is  car- 
ried on  for  oil,  and  the  orchilla  moss  is  gathered  for 
dye,  next  appeared.  Cedros  Island,  with  the  first 
trees  we  had  seen  for  days,  towering  up  here  and  there, 
and  ravine-marked  and  gullied  surface  hardly  fit  for  the 
wild  goats  we  found  thereon,  followed.  Acres  of  sea  weed 
lay  between  island  and  coast,  flashing  up  its  varied  color 
from  its  low  ocean  bed,  many  being  fifteen  and  twenty 
feet  in  length  and  of  rankest  growth.  Large  islands 
covered  with  boobies,  pelicans  and  ducks  were  in  full 
view,  revealing  rich  deposits  of  guano.  Cedros  Island 
contains  the  only  fresh  water  for  hundreds  of  miles, 
and  a  whaler  lay  alongside  for  a  supply.  Its  shore 
presented  a  sad  spectacle  in  rude  wooden  monuments 
placed  over  graves  of  seaman  and  whaler,  either  a 
victim  of  disease  or  anger  of  the  mighty  whale  which 
swarms  here  to  breed. 

If  there  is  anything  attractive  about  the  spot,  next 
to  whales  and  seals,  it  is  seals  and  whales.  Up  pops 
the  narrow  head  of  a  seal.  Down  flaps  the  frightful 
fluke  of  a  whale.  You  like  to  see  the  monster  of  the 
deep  afar  off  forcing  up  its  cascades  of  foam,  but  the 


58  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

moment  he  begins  to  lash  the  surface  in  the  majesty  of 
his  power,  and  protection  of  its  young,  then,  somehow,  ' 
you  feel  a  strong  preference  for  a  seal,  or  wild  goat,  or 
even  the  land. 

It  was  as  cool  as  November  in  New  England.     The 
assistant  rector  of  Trinity  Church,  New  York,  preached 
for  us   in  the  saloon  the  day  before,  and  the  cool  tem- 
perature seemed  to  have   awakened  him  from  his  cus- 
tomary inaction.    We  made  San  Diego,  the  oldest  settle- 
ment in  California,  now  soon  to  be  the  entry  port  of 
all  the   Speckels  vessels  from  the   Sandwich  Islands. 
This   may  prove  as  great  a  rival  to  San  Francisco  in 
the  South  as,  Victoria  with  its  Canadian  Pacific  R.  R., 
is  in  the  North.     It  will  receive  the    mails    as    well. 
Thousands  of  nautili,  or  Portuguese  men-of-war,  floated 
about    our   vessel,  and  acres    of    the   yellowish   white 
substance,  known    to    seafaring    men    as    whale  food, 
stretched  out  before  us,  and  we  made  Anaheim,  Monica 
and  Los  Angeles.    A  three-masted  schooner  ran  across 
our  wake,  the  first  sailing  vessel  in  motion  we  had  met 
for   wrecks.      Passed   between   Santa    Cruz  and  Santa 
Rosa  at  sun-down,  in  water  2,500  feet  deep,  and  made 
Santa  Barbara. 

We  soon  saw  Point  Conception  Light.  The  temper- 
ature was  almost  at  the  freezing  point.  The  whole 
appearance  of  land  and  sea  had  changed,  and,  in  spite 
of  the  cold,  I  was  amused  to  hear  one  after  another 
exclaim,  "Thank  heaven,   we    are    in    God's    country 


/X  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  59 

again  at  last ! "  With  the  exception  of  two  cattle 
ranches  below  San  Diego,  we  had  seen  for  days  no  sign 
of  civilization,  and  when  we  now  caught  sight  of  Pedro 
Blanco  Light,  and  ranches  of  wheat,  alfalfa  and  cattle 
on  the  slopes  of  the  Coast  Range  beyond,  our  joy 
knew  no  bounds.  Off  Monterey  we  discovered  a  new 
light-house  going  up.  There  is  an  old  Spanish  mis- 
sion here  of  quaint  and  simple  style,  and  many  fine 
dwellings  about  a  beautiful  bay.  Seals  came  in  sight 
again,  either  elevating  their  peaked  heads  above  the 
sea  or  sleeping  quietly  on  the  beach. 

We  had  then  reached  the  boisterous  billows  again, 
and  soon  were  laboring  through  the  rough  current 
and  sea  of  the  Golden  Horn  with  its  bristling  forts 
and  earth-works  to  Telegraph  Hill,  and  on  to  our  dock. 
This  was  the  first  dock  we  had  used  for  weeks,  either 
on  account  of  their  absence  or  the  shallowness  of  the 
harbor  waters  South.  But  what  a  sight  met  our  eyes  ! 
In  Eastern  United  States,  July  and  hot  weather  are  in- 
separable. In  the  same  latitude  East  and  for  hundreds 
of  miles  North,  people  were  sweltering  in  the  heat,  and 
longing  for  ice  cream  and  lemonade,  but  here  on  the 
dock  a  young  lady  stood  energetically  waving  a  disen- 
gaged hand,  and  muffled  from  top  to  toe  in  sealskin. 
Her  male  companion,  quietly  puffing  at  a  cigar,  is  as 
thoroughly  encased  in  fur  cap  and  ulster. 

We  felt  a  cool  breeze  creeping  to  our  marrow.       We 
were  little  prepared    for  landing  in   Washington   and 


GO  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

finding  a  Greenland.  Here  it  was,  however.  Not  a 
soul  but  what  wore  heavy  winter  clothing,  and  we  but 
six  days  from  a  climate  where  it  would  have  been  bur- 
densome to  bear  even  a  fig-leaf  !  This  then  was  the 
much  praised  California  climate  !  "  But  you  will  like  it 
after  you  have  spent  a  few  days,  and  you  can  wear  the 
same  clothing  the  year  round  "  they  said.  Bah  !  Ugh  ! 
Cliff  House,  park  and  seals,  Chinatown,  the  Palace 
and  other  large  hotels,  were  seen,  few  invitations  out 
from  my  friends  accepted,  and  then  I  left  for  Yosemite 
Valley  and  the  Geysers,  in  wonder  that  so  many  poor 
wretches  were  living  under  the  impression  that  they 
enjoyed    an  unusually  fine  climate. 

To  be  just,  I  found  upon  reaching  Oakland,  six 
miles  southeast,  that  San  Francisco  was  alone  in  its 
execrable  summer  climate.  During  the  remainder  of  my 
Californian  trip  the  weather  was  as  soft  and  mild,  and 
the  sky  as  clear  as  in  Italy,  and  beyond  anything  I 
had  experienced  at  home  in  New  England.  The  Sac- 
r  amento  River,  however,  is  a  dirty,  shallow  stream  with 
no  public  crossing  until  you  reach  South  Vallejo,  where 
a  small  steamer  with  petroleum  engines — since  de- 
stroyed by  explosion — takes  you  over  to  the  town. 
Mares  Island  is  the  United  States  Navy  Yard  and 
Hospital.  Here  I  saw  once  more  Farragut's  old  flag- 
ship, the  Hartford.  Napa,  the  home  of  Eustes,  and 
the  seat  of  one  of  the  finest  and  largest  insane  hos- 
pitals in   the  world;  Helena,  surrounded  by  hundreds 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  61 

of  acres  of  vine  and  fruit  orchards;  Cloverdale,  with  its 
petrified  forests,  were  in  turn  visited,  and  other  places 
in  Napa,  Sonoma  and  Lake  counties,  the  Bradford  and 
Johnson  mines,  St.  Helena  volcano,  and  through  the 
vast  Sonoma  Valley,  where  reaping  machines  propelled 
by  eight  strong  horses  were  gathering  and  stacking  the 
heavy  wheat,  with  a  precision  and  ease  perfectly  won- 
derful. 

From  vallev  to  foot-hills  on  the  verv  summit  of  the 
Coast  Range,  the  vine  has  supplanted  the  pine  and 
cedar,  and  strong,  costly  granite  store  houses  meet 
one  on  everv  hand,  and  often  built  directlv  out  into 
the  road  you  are  travelling.  Up,  up,  up,  as  fast  as 
brute  strength  and  speed  can  carry  you,  and  faster 
than  is  either  safe  or  agreeable,  you  go,  until  your 
weary  team  are,  from  sheer  exhaustion,  forced  to  a 
walk.  Then,  perchance,  down  again  through  a  little 
valley  on  a  wild  and  dangerous  gallop,  which  brings 
a  wicked  gleam  into  the  eyes  of  the  driver  as  he  casts 
a  furtive  glance  youward  to  see  if  it  makes  its  due  and 
desired  impression,  until  off  goes  his  hat,  and,  in 
clouds  of  dust  and  over -heated  air,  you,  with  a  little 
pardonable  malice,  watch  him  striding  back  for  its  re- 
covery. The  driver  was  of  Spanish  birth,  who,  when 
young,  ran  away  from  his  home  in  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  because  his  mother  desired  him  to  accompany 
her  to  California. 

I  will  not  weary  you  with  the  story  of  his   capture. 


62  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

return,  and  captivity  until  that  State  was  finally- 
reached.  It,  I  believe,  made  him  entertain  a  secret 
enmity  towards  the  whole  human  race,  and  when  later 
on  this  journey  of  30  miles,  he  allowed  his  horses  to 
run  like  mad  down  a  rough  ravine,  I  volunteered  to 
advise  that  more  careful  driving  would  save  his 
master's  property,  if  not  our  lives.  I  need  not  say  my 
efforts  were  of  little  service  to  his  master,  for,  all  at 
once,  down  went  the  right  front  axle,  throwing  him 
headlong  over  the  horses.  I  happily  landed  in  a  soft 
sjDot  with  only  a  sprain  or  two.  Would  you  have 
blamed  me  if  I  had  talked  loud  of  Lynch  law  and  its 
sure  consequences  ?  But  I  did  not.  It  was  I,  though, 
who,  some  two  hours  after,  when  he  had  walked  back 
a  mile  or  two,  and  traversed  the  same  distance  on  his 
return,  for  means  to  repair  the  coach,  became  quite 
satisfied  with  everything,  urged  him  to  put  his  animals 
to  greater  speed,  and  pointedly  reminded  him  of  the 
worthlessness  of  human  life  in  general,  and  his  in  par- 
ticular. 

Away  scuttled  the  upland  lizard,  this  way  then  that, 
attempting  two  ways  at  the  same  time.  Wild  birds 
flew  screeching  on  before,  and  wild  beasts  slunk  growl- 
ing aside.  Up,  up,  up,  till  the  broad  Pacific  appeared 
but  a  mere  irregular  line  in  the  far  western  horizon, 
and  the  rich  Sonoma  valley  spread  out  in  all  its  sum- 
mer beauty,  lay  fast  disappearing  at  our  feet.  Still  up, 
up,  up,  away  from   cultivated  field  and  habitation    of 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  63 

man,  until  the  breath  comes  quicker  and  faster,  the 
pulse  runs  wild,  and  you  bow  before  the  majestic 
heights  and  distant  valleys  as  to  hallowed  ground. 
No  pen  can  paint  the  exhilaration,  the  grandeur  or  the 
silent  power  of  mountain  influence.  Our  path  did  not 
permit  of  surplus  space.  Down,  down  the  steep  inclines 
with  walls  of  solid  stone  sheer  to  the  sky  on  the  left, 
and  wild,  overhanging  precipices  on  the  right,  into 
which  a  misstep,  a  rolling  stone  or  the  slightest  swerve 
would  land  our  almost  breathless  bodies  hundreds  of 
feet  on  the  jagged  rocks  below. 

While  thus  whizzing  along,  we  saw  directly  in  our 
track  a  little  mass  of  brown  and  white.  Cupidity  alone 
could  have  led  our  driver  to  suddenly  check  his  coach. 
We  also  became  interested,  but  before  we  could  descend 
it  suddenly  bounded  up  and  across  to  a  thicket.  Search- 
ing, we  soon  found  a  young  deer,  as  graceful  as 
a  gazelle,  hiding  its  pretty  head  in  the  leaves  to  escape, 
as  it  imagined,  from  the  sight  of  its  pursuers.  There 
is  something  pathetic  in  the  actions  of  the  young,  and 
animals  are  not  exceptions,  and  when  I  afterwards  saw 
this  same  little  fawn  by  the  side  of  a  bright  little 
mountain  maiden,  to  whom  it  had  been  given,  I  felt 
grateful  that  it  had  fallen  into  little,  gentle  hands  that 
could  love  and  protect  it.  Yet,  with  the  little  fawn 
stowed  away  in  the  only  available  spot  left  in  the 
coach,  we  still  rolled  on,  swaying  here  and  pitching 
there,  down  the  zigzag  way  to  deep  chasms  over  which 


G4  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

the  eagle  and  buzzard  crossed  with  but  a  few  strokes 
of  their  broad  wings,  but  which  we  avoided  by  narrow, 
fish-hook  curves  so  sharp  as  to  threaten,  in  our  rash 
descent,  to  snap  our  vehicle  in  two. 

There  sat  our  Jehu,  with  one  foot  pressed  with  all 
his  strength  on  brakes,  and  a  firm  yet  half  comical 
curve  about  his  mouth,  in  still  greater  danger  than  his 
passengers.  As  the  right  wheels  were  taking  a  log 
which  served  to  widen  the  rocky  path  to  a  sufficient 
width  to  admit  of  crossing,  there  came  a  sickening 
swish,  a  jerk  and  a  thud.  We  thought  our  last  day 
had  come,  but  happily  not  we  found,  for  the  wheels 
had  merely  slipped  from  the  log  to  a  crevice  and  sunk 
to  the  hub,  holding  the  coach  like  a  vice.  Had  the 
log  been  anything  but  one  of  those  immense  mountain 
trees,  it  would  have  been  carried  away  with  our  mo- 
mentum. We  at  last  picked  ourselves  up  and  helped 
extricate  the  carriage.  Going  back  a  little,  the  lower 
part  of  the  wheels  could  be  seen  hanging  over  the 
avv'ful  chasm,  the  bottom  of  which  we  could  not  dis- 
cern, and  wedged  in  so  firmly  that  the  prospect  of 
seeing  volcanoes  or  geysers  seemed,  to  say  the  least, 
indefinitely  postponed.  For  the  first  time  our  driver 
showed  some  signs  of  humanity,  by  confessing  that  his 
team  was  new  and  hard  bitted,  but  that  he  thought 
it  was  as  good  an  occasion  as  any  to  break  them  in,  a 
disclosure  calculated,  as  you  can  imagine,  to  add  little 
to  our  mental  peace. 


IiV  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  ^ry 

But  I  will  pass  swiftly  over  these  mountain  experi- 
ences, the  trails  of  wild  beast,  the  lonely  clearing  with 
its  sweet,  bright-eyed  children,  so  like  a  country  home 
in  the  East,  where  the  arrival  of  the  letter  or  news- 
paper we  brought,  was  the  event  of  the  month,  perhaps 
the  year.  I  could  see  how  gently  their  little  hands 
clasped  around  it,  as  they  all  fell  into  one  embrace, 
and  were  left  by  us  standing  with  clasped  hands  and 
rapt,  upturned  faces.  Ah,  how  many  times  we  feel 
the  sweet  simplicity  of  that  country  life  I  He  has 
never  lived  who  has  not  known  the  country  —  the 
song  of  birds,  the  fragrance  of  flowers,  the  hush  of  the 
forest  unconsciously  soften  the  heart,  quicken  the 
imagination  and  fill  the  soul  with  God's  choicest 
emotions. 

In  these  mountain  fastnesses,  the  deer,  the  trout 
and  the  robin  met  us  evervwhere,  even  where  the 
throbbing  ground  grew  too  hot  for  human  feet,  and 
fiery  steam  burst  out  dangerously  upon  us.  Geysers 
are  usually  indicated  at  a  distance  by  a  strong  odor  of 
sulphur  and  long  lines  of  yellowish-white  deposit  on 
the  surface  of  the  ground.  Then  follow  springs  of 
sulphur,  magnesia,  alum  and  other  minerals,  side  by 
side,  cold  and  hot,  so  as  to  boil  an  egg  in  a  few  min- 
utes and  cool  it  in  five  by  just  changing  your  hand. 
The  heights  of  spray  and  steam  are  not  usually  uni- 
form or  regular.  They  may  burst  suddenly  before 
your  astonished  gaze,  hurling  stones  and  other  debris 


QQ         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

like  canister  shot,  scorching  your  face  and  hands,  if 
not  bHstering  your  whole  body.  Then,  again,  there 
may  be  but  a  rumble,  a  puff  and  irregular  breathing 
from  the  vent  holes.  Fine  enough  curiosities  to  visit, 
but  very  objectionable  neighbors  and  resting-place.s. 
Two  days  and  one  night  sufficed  in  my  case. 

To  speak  of  Yosemite  Valley,   Mariposa  and  Cala- 
veras,  awakens    too   many   pleasant   memories   to   jot 
down  here  anything  but  the  merest  outline.     The  last 
two  have  nothing  of   paramount  interest  except  their 
cedars  or   redwood  trees.     It   is  not  difficult  to  find 
them  fifteen  feet  in  diameter  and  from  one  to  two  hun- 
dred feet  in  height.     In  Mariposa  Grove,  via  Berenda, 
there  are  fifteen  of  these  trees,  running  up  almost  to 
the  top  without  any  considerable  branches,  measuring 
from   60   to   90  feet    in   circumference,  and   over  300 
feet  in  height.     A  coach  and  six  horses  passes  daily 
through  the  trunk  of  one  of  these,  without  grazing  the 
sides,  and  leaving  sufficiently  firm  walls  to  support  and 
nourish  the  remainder  of  the  giant.     Among  those  of 
Calaveras,  the  Father  of  the  Forest,  now  prostrate,  is 
435  feet  long  and   no  feet  in  circumference,  and  has 
rings  disclosing  an  age  of  3,000  years  or  more.     The 
largest   now'  standing   is    called    the    Mother    of    the 
Forest,  and  is  321  feet  high  and  90  feet  at  its  base. 
They  belong  to  the  taxodium  family,  and  are  called 
Sequoia,  after  a  Cherokee  chief  of  that  name. 

Yosemite  Valley  is  4,000  feet  above  sea  level,  and 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  G7 

has  the  ]\Ierced  river  running  southwesterly  through  it. 
In  many  places  its  walls  are  nearly  vertical  and  add 
4,000  feet  for  the  surrounding  mountains.     The  Bridal 
Veil,  Yosemite.  and  Virgin  Tears  Palls  on  either  hand 
make   you   stand   speechless    in    wonder    and   delight. 
Point  Inspiration,  as  you  enter  the   valley,   looms  up 
like  a  giant  sentinel,  while  for  the  whole  nine  miles  of 
its  length  grateful  surprises  await  and  spring  upon  you 
when  little  expected.     At  the  upper  end  you  meet  the 
Vernal  Falls  and  Mirror  Lake,  a  pretty  little  sheet  of 
water,  reminding  one  of  Switzerland.     Mt.  Starr  King 
is  seen  just  south  of  these ;  and  Sentinel  Dome,  from 
which  the  best  view  is  obtained,  lies  a  little   further 
southwest.       But,  still    having  25,000    or   more    miles 
to    make,    taking    Southern   California  with   its    sandy 
plains,  irrigated  hills  and  valle^-s,  its  fruit  and  flowers 
into  my  eager  vision  the  best  I  might,  I  hastened  back 
to    San   Francisco.     Every  one   seemed    a    real-estate 
broker  and  to  live  by  doing  just  what  the  New  Testa- 
ment  claims   caused   the  death   of   Ananias   and    Sap- 
phira.     Comment  is  unnecessary. 

On  my  return  to  San  Francisco,  I  found  the  climate 
still  unbearable.  I  entered  a  Market  Street  cable  car, 
with  dust  from  a  sixteenth  to  an  eighth  of  an  inch 
deep  on  hat  and  shoulders,  but  before  reaching  my 
hotel,  the  rampant  wind  had  removed  nearly  every 
particle  of  it. 

I    took   passage    for    Japan    on    one    of    the    finest 


68 


PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 


Pacific  steamships  ever  engaged  in  the  Eastern  trade, 
and  soon  was  off  the  Cliff  House,  with  its  old  one- 
eyed  seal  and  companion,  and  in  the  very  jaws  of 
Golden  Gate,  which,  although  it  seems  but  a  few  hun- 
dred feet  in  width,  is  in  realitv  a  mile  and  a  half.  To 
my  surprise  and  great  pleasure,  I  found  a  young  Span- 
ish gentleman  going  to  Manilla,  with  whom  I  had  a 
pleasant  acquaintance,  was  to  accompany  me  to  Yoko- 
hama, as  also  were  Bishop  Warren  and  lady  of  Colo- 
rado, who  were  on  their  way  to  a  church  conference  in 
Tokio. 


A   JAPANESE    COIN. 


/.V  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  69 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Fast  fades  our  native  shore, 

All  friends  behind,  a  trackless  sea  before. 


A: 


-LTHOUGH  we  had  from  300  to  400  Chinese 
on  board,  they  only   served  to    occupy  my  interested 
attention  whenever  they  appeared  on  deck  or  in  our 
way.     I  was  glad  to  see  that  the  stories,  told  by  mis- 
sionaries and  clergymen,  in  regard  to  white  passengers 
being  obliged,  for  want  of  money,  to  live  and  sleep 
among  the   ^Mongolians,   were  no    longer  true.     With 
the  exception  of  two  women  and  three  girls  from  Peru, 
all  of  whom  were  connected  with  the  Chinese  in  one 
way  or  another,  I  found  no  mixture  of  races.     There 
was  one  man,  however,  whom  I  at  first  supposed  to  be 
an  American,  as  he  had  no  queue  or  obliquity  of  eye, 
but  who,  I  found,  was  a  tea  merchant  from  Georgia, 
where  he  had  married  a  planter's  daughter,  and  who 
by   his    choice    English    and    urbane    manners,    really 
appeared  foreign   to  them  all.     I  often  fell  into  con- 
versation with  him,  as  he  seemed  to  avoid  his  compan- 
ions, and  disclose  no  bad    Chinese  traits.     However, 
just  before  we  reached  the  first  Chinese  port,  to  my 
surprise,  I  found  not   only  the  narrow  shoe  and  wide 
flapping  trousers,  but  a  respectable  queue,  which,  with 
the  aid  of  braided  ribbon  and  tape,  he  had  brought 


70  PLEA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UN  NY  LANDS, 

down  quite  to  his  heels.  Knowing  the  treatment  the 
poor  fellow  would  have  received  on  shore,  among  his 
kin  and  neighbors,  and  probably  from  his  government, 
one  quickly  overlooked  this  apparent  weakness.  It 
was  merely  self-protection.  Nor  was  his  the' only  case 
of  metamorphosis.  Lovely  little  children  with  bright, 
happy  faces,  on  the  day  for  landing,  timidly  trudged 
along  with  shaved  head  and  eyebrows,  abashed  and 
ashamed  of  the  cruel  disfigurement  custom  had  thus 
perpetrated. 

The  entire  crew  were  Chinese,  but  were  officered  by 
Americans.  I  soon  learned  that  it  was  not  solely  on 
account  of  economy  in  the  pay  roll.  One  illustration 
will  suffice.  On  our  third  day  out,  while  making  my 
customary  turn  on  deck,  I  found  directly  at  my  feet 
what,  at  first  sight,  appeared  like  a  queerly  shaped  log. 
It  was  some  eight  feet  in  length  and  about  two  feet 
wide.  Its  wider  and  upper  surfaces  were  flattened, 
and  the  four  edges,  corresponding  to  those  of  an 
ordinary  box,  were  deep  grooves  instead  of  sharp 
lines.  There  was  no  one  near  except  the  officer  on 
the  bridge,  so  I  continued  my  investigation.  That  it 
was  the  work  of  human  hands  was  clear,  but  for  what 
purpose  I  could  not  imagine,  until  I  at  last  discovered 
on  the  upper  surface  what  resembled,  more  than  any- 
thing else,  last  year's  crow  tracks.  It  was  Chinese  ! 
Was  it  a  trunk  or  bed  ?  Then  it  flashed  across  my 
mind  the  possibility  that  its  Chinese  owner  was  lying 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  71 

cold  and  stiff  somewhere  within.  On  looking  up,  my 
eyes  met  those  of  the  officer  of  the  watch,  which  in  a 
glance  answered  my  inquiry. 

Many  a  grief-stricken  mother,  in  my  presence,  on 
the  Atlantic,  had  been  forced,  even  though  but  two  or 
three  days  from  her  native  land  and  home,  to  give  to 
the  cruel  deep  a  little  boy  or  girl,  and  in  one  case,  in 
1874,  while  we  were  within  two  days'  sail  of  Great 
Britain,  two  little  girls,  who  had  crossed  the  United 
States  from  San  Francisco,  and  had  become  listless 
and  weary  before  taking  the  long  sea  vo3'^age,  became 
worse,  and  one,  despite  physician  and  mother,  slowly 
closed  its  gentle  eyes  in  the  sleep  that  knows  no 
waking.  She  was  so  lovely  and  bright,  she  had 
become  our  own,  and  yet  before  night,  against  our 
earnest  entreaties,  her  little  form,  so  peacefully  sleep- 
ing, so  like  a  pink  gathered  from  the  garden,  dearer 
and  more  sweet  than  in  life,  was  cast  out  into  the 
pitiless  sea. 

It  is  but  one  of  my  past  experiences,  making  the 
rule  that  an  American  receives  an  ocean  burial  before 
twent3^-four  hours  after  death  ;  but  here,  right  before 
me,  lay  the  foreigner,  the  Chinese.  What  of  him  ? 
For  eighteen  days  and  nights  our  steamer  bore  the 
remains  of  that  Celestial,  until  his  bones  could  find 
rest  in  his  native  country.  Why  ?  "  Because,"  said 
the  officer,  "  If  we  buried  a  Chinaman  at  sea,  it  would 
anger  the  whole  nation,  and    the   Chinese   trade  would 


72  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

be  totally- ruined."  Had  I,  had  Bishop  Warren  died, 
before  nightfall  our  remains,  sewed  up  in  a  sail-cloth 
and  weighted  with  a  few  pieces  of  old  iron,  would  have 
been  over  the  vessel's  side,  the  prey,  of  wave  and  shark. 
From  that  day  I  closely  studied  the  much-vexed 
Chinese  question,  and  although  an  ocean  steamer  is 
not  the  best  place  for  accurate  and  fair  comparison, 
I  found  that  all  my  observations  were  afterward  con- 
firmed by  like  experiences  in  their  native  land.  The 
forward  decks  were  set  apart  for  these  people,  and  for 
eighteen  days  it  was  impossible  to  get  some  of  them  out 
into  the  open  air  or  on  the  hurricane  deck  without  ab- 
solutely pulling  them  out  by  the  hair  of  their  heads. 
With  but  a  very  few  exceptions  they  squatted  or  lay 
flat  upon  the  floor  or  thin  rush  mats,  gambling  and 
smoking  their  vile  opium.  Only  at  meal  time  was  the 
scene  changed.  Thousands  of  dollars  changed  hands, 
and,  I  am  told,  went  in  a  large  measure  to  profes- 
sionals and  stewards.  No  sight  is  more  pitiable  than  to 
see  the  strained  attitude,  the  glaring  eye  and  frantic 
contortions  of  a  Chinaman  half  crazed  with  greed  or 
disappointment ;  nothing  more  beastly,  more  swinish, 
than  men  and  \vomen  lying  at  full  length,  or  curled  up, 
in  a  cloud  of  sickening  opium  smoke,  with  glazed  eyes 
and  death-like  features  as  unconscious  of  your  presence 
as  in  the  tomb.  This  was  an  every-day  sight,  and  I 
found  but  one  redeeming  feature,  that  almost  every  one 
could  read  and  write.      But,  as  with  all  mental    educa- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  73 

tion,  so  called,  if  the  heart  be  not  at  the  same  time  en- 
lightened, there  is  no  certainty  of  moral  sense  or  good 
manners. 

The  Hindoo,  the  Japanese,  even  the  Malay,  on  meet- 
ing me  on  the  street,  politely  stepped  aside  with  an 
apologetic  movement  of  the  body  or  courteous  lifting  of 
the  hand  to  head  or  breast.  Not  so  the  Mongolian  of 
China.  He  has  a  stupid  selfishness,  that  takes  up  the 
whole  way  and  elbows  even  women  and  children  aside. 
It  was  only  at  the  cry  of  my  sedan  bearers,  and  from 
fear  of  bodily  injury,  that  progress  in  their  ten-foot 
streets  could  be  made  at  all.  The  same  want  of 
courtesy  was  intensified  to  boldness,  on  the  ocean. 

The  first  two  days,  on  a  northwesterly  course,  the 
air  was  cold  and  the  sea  raging,  but  the  next  two  .days 
were  quiet  and  enjoyable.  We  were  followed  by  flocks 
of  boobies  and  albatross,  measuring  from  tip  to  tip, 
three  feet  or  more.  Hardly  a  day  thereafter,  until 
near  Japan,  were  those  tireless  companions  absent 
from  our  view.  Hour  after  hour  I  have  stood  at  the 
stern  rail,  while  those  giant  birds,  with  steady  eye  and 
motionless  wings,  like  birds  of  prey  pursued.  To 
this  side  of  our  wake  then  that,  as  regular  as  a  pendu- 
lum, swung  their  onward  flight.  Suspended  on  their 
huge  wings  and  propelled  by  the  momentum  of  their 
heavy  bodies,  down  they  glided  almost  to  the  water's 
level,  and  nearly  on  their  right  side,  on  a  curve  that 
carried  them  gracefully  into  the  high  air  again,  only  to 


74         PLEA SA NT  HO URS  IN  S UNNY  LA NDS, 

be  unceasingly  repeated,  until  your  wonder  grew  to  a 
strange  fascination.  In  all  that  long  distance,  but  a  few 
times  did  we  catch  them  resting  on  the  water,  and 
then  to  quickly  spread  their  wings,  run  a  few  steps  on 
the  sea,  and  off  into  the  air  again. 

Our  course  lay  far  to  the  north,  so  that  for  days  we 
met,  on  every  hand,  countless  flocks  from  the  Alaskan 
Islands.  We  were  supposed  to  shorten  our  journey 
on  such  a  circle,  and  come  down  upon  Japan  with  an 
advantage  over  the  Canadian  line,  but  the  ocean  was 
three  times  in  ten  days  stirred  up  by  fierce  typhoons 
that  caused  unusually  long  and  strong  coast  currents. 
These  set  in  directly  against  us,  so  that  often  with  full 
steam  we  made  but  little  actual  progress.  To  one 
experiencing  one  of  these  frightful  revolving  storms 
for  the  first  time,  the  last  atom  of  courage  and  fortitude 
is  often  severely  disciplined  until  it  becomes  almost 
despair. 

The  sea  may  be  as  still  as  a  mill  pond  in  October. 
An  ominous  hush  in  the  sluo^gish  air  holds  fast  to 
sleeping  nature,  when  out  of  the  yellowish  sky,  spring 
a  spasmodic  breeze,  a  quickly  following  wind,  which 
roughen  the  distant  horizon.  As  with  a  bound,  from 
circling  wind  and  wave  tear  forth  the  pent  up  hurri- 
cane. In  a  trice  the  peaceful  scenes  of  nature  are 
transformed  into  those  of  destruction  and  death. 
Junks  are  overturned  and  sunk  like  autumn  leaves. 
Boom,  boom  goes  a  sea  on    our  port,  tearing   through 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  75 

Steel  and  iron,  carrying  Chinese  sailors,  servants,  every- 
thing in  its  irresistible  sway,  and  nearly  swamping 
the  vessel  itself.  Whack,  whack,  whack,  crash,  crash, 
crack,  flush,  amid  howling  of  tempest  and  cry  of  man 
and  beast,  create,  in  fewer  minutes  than  it  takes  to 
write,  a  sad  and  frightful  pandemonium.  A  lull,  a 
dark  boiling  flood,  madly  churning  into  foam,  rolls 
stubbornly  away  and  is  soon  lost  to  sight.  Another 
lull,  and  swish-swash  come  spars,  barrels,  casks,  boats, 
rigging  and  masts,  up  and  around,  as  if  in  mute  appeal 
for  instant  reinstatement.  Chinese  junks  float  help- 
lessly on  all  sides,  alike  shorn  of  glory  and  bereft  of 
their  occupants.  Also  poor  John  Chinaman,  "Alle 
samee  Melican  man  ! " 

We  soon  found  the  sea  a  perfect  type  of  Balboa's 
Pacific.  Perfect  quiet  rested  on  its  surface.  A  wavy 
undulation  swept  over  the  dark  blue  water  and  seemed 
to  flow  over  the  distant  horizon  like  water  in  a  basin. 
Now  and  then  a  large  sea-fowl  lay  peacefully  resting  in 
the  placid  pool,  and  a  large  palm  tree  or  remnant  of 
wreckage  mounted  by  gulls  and  looking  like  ship- 
wrecked mortals  floated  aimlessly  by.  The  busy  mind 
soon  caught  the  spell  and,  glad  to  rest,  lay  back  in 
dreamy  comfort. 

The  three  days  following  were  foggy,  as  the  repeated 
fog-whistle  constantly  reminded  us.  Only  a  few 
whales  appeared  in  the  afternoon  for  diversion.  The 
next  day  was   Sunday,    and   besides  the    service,  the 


76 


PLEASANT  HOURS   IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 


ROUTE    IN    THE    EASTERN    HEMISPHERE. 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD. 


11 


ROUTE    IN    THE   WESTERN    HEMISPHERE. 


78'         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

acquaintance  of  Ah  You,  a  16-year-old  Chinese  girl, 
who  had  been  kidnapped,  carried  to  San  Francisco 
and  sold  for  $1500,  makes  it  worthy  of  mention.  This 
was  an  attractive,  well  educated  and  refined  Celestial, 
quite  matter  of  fact,  but  pleasing  and  instructive  withal. 
Her  feet  were  large,  however,  quite  as  enormous  as 
many  of  my  gentle  readers,  but  you  must  remember 
that  the  cruel  custom  of  pinching  and  dwarfing  the 
feet  had  begun  to  disappear  at  her  birth,  and  now  is 
wholly  confined  to  those  classes  in  society  who,  in  cus- 
tom as  well  as  religion,  live  only  in  the  past.  So,  my 
gentle  reader,  she  had  a  well  formed,  plump  little  foot, 
with  two  rings  on  her  big  toes  and  two  bands  of  silver 
on  her  shapely  ankles.  Her  hair  was  as  black  as  a 
raven,  and  large  loops  of  gold  and  onyx  graced  her 
well-shaped  ears.  She  was  a  good  type  of  the  higher 
and  better  class  of  that  nation,  as  you  will  allow,  when 
I  tell  you  that  she  refused  to  be  sold  for  gold  and 
bravely  sought  our  aid  to  escape  even  the  appearance 
of  sinning. 

August  I  was  also  foggy,  with  a  southwest  wind, 
and,  strange  to  say,  as  it  was  an  unusual  experi- 
ence to  me,  a  high  sea  running.  The  Atlantic  was 
faithfully  personated.  The  high  peaks  and  deep  val- 
leys, the  heavy  thuds  and  overtopping  waves,  were 
piled  up  all  about  us,  but  a  fog  at  the  same  time  was 
unnatural  anywhere. 


/X  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  79 

The  same  experience  was  repeated  on  the  following 
day,  and  still  the  more  unusual  one  to  me  and  most  trav- 
ellers, that  of  throwing  away  a  whole  day  from  the  cal- 
endar.    This  we  did  on  August  2,  at  four  bells,  noon. 
This  was  on  account  of  our  reaching  the  meridian  of 
Greenwich   in  its   extension   around   the   globe.     This 
change  gave  us  two  Sundays  the  same  week,  and  put 
our  log  into  east  longitude,  like  the  vessels  we  should 
have  to  meet  farther  on.     My  watch,  which  I  carefully 
kept  running  Boston  time,  was  several  hours  fast,  —  and 
reached   12   hours  in  the  Malay  Peninsula,  indicating 
that  I  had  travelled  half  my  journey  around  the  world. 
The  next  day,  the  4th,  we  were  in  a  smooth  sea  again, 
and  surrounded  by  countless  nautili  and  jelly  fish,  with 
now  and  then  the  poisonous  sun  and  devil-fish  as  com- 
panions, and  here  and  there  a  whale  and  Arctic  bird. 
This  day  would  have  been  August  3  at  any  point  east 
of  the  line,  but  on  crossing  the  line  we  cast  the  3d  to 
the  winds  and  called  it  the  4th,  for  the  reasons  stated. 
August  5.     More  Arctic   birds   above    and   around, 
with  indications  of  land   or  islands,  which  the  officer 
said  were  of  the  Alaskan  group.    The  sky  was  clouded. 
The  next  day  was  the  same,  with  the  bright  exception 
that  the   sun   gladdened   our   eyes    in    the   afternoon. 
Careful   observations,   impossible    for   nearly   a   week, 
were   then   promptly  taken,   which   made   all   breathe 
easier.     Under  the  date  of  the  following  day  I  find  in 
my  diary :     "  By  the  loss  of  last  Wednesday,   Sunday 


80         PLEASANT  HO  URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

comes  a  little  unnaturally,  but  here  it  is  again,  and  I 
have  a  hard  time  trying  to  make  people  understand 
that  it  is  a  fact.  Bishop  Warren  held  services  as 
usual,  but  is  far  from  well.  The  sea  is  fine  and  level, 
but  the  air  is  almost  too  warm  for  comfort.  After  my 
custom,  read  to  officers  and  stewards."  August  8  gave 
us  a  grand  sea  and  better  weather.  The  monsters  of 
the  deep  sent  up  their  arches  and  columns  of  spray  in 
every  direction.  The  two  Japanese  students  seemed 
to  take  increased  enjoyment  as  we  neared  their  native 
land.  One  had  taken  a  special  degree  at  Oxford,  Eng- 
land, and  was  now  returning  home  to  stay. 

And  this  leads  me  to  state  that,  wherever  on  this 
broad  earth  I  have  met  this  race,  nothing  but  the 
pleasantest  relations  have  sprung  up  between  us.  The 
happy  hours  have  sped  away  only  too  quickly.  From 
the  general  in  the  standing  army  to  the  humble  servant 
in  the  hotel,  the  utmost  courtesy  and  earnest  interest 
have  been  manifested.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the  mem- 
ory of  the  people  as  well  as  of  their  beautiful  land,  re- 
mains with  all  the  freshness  of  yesterday.  August  lo, 
a  frightful  ground  swell  was  accompanied  by  the  strong 
equatorial  current  common  here,  and  the  first  rain,  ex- 
cept in  tempest,  we  had  seen  since  leaving  San  Fran- 
cisco, 17  days  before.  Early  the  next  morning,  caught 
sight  of  Yokohama  Light.  Soon  a  cloud  high  in  the 
sky  parted  and  revealed  a  giant  peak,  well  rounded 
and  blue,  with  long  white  streaks  of  ice  and  snow  run- 
ning down  to  and  hiding  in  the  clouds  below.  Majes- 
tic crown  !     Mighty  sentinel  of  a  fairy  land,  Fusiyama  • 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  81 


CHAPTER    V. 

O'er  hil!  and  mount, 

Through  grove  and  dell, 

Lo,  the  land  where  fairies  dwell  ! 


T 


HE  first  impressions  of  a  place,  like  those  of  a 
person,  are  often  worthier  than  the  object.  This  does 
not  hold  true  of  Japan.  Each  day  discloses  something 
interesting,  something  new.  Even  the  two  recent  out- 
breaks of  old  volcanoes  are  in  point,  although  the  third, 
destroying  five  villages  in  the  Bandai  reo;ion,  is  truly 
sad.  No  land  boasts  of  ^irander  mountain  king  than 
Fusian  or  Fusiyama.  Closely  following  the  uplifting 
mist,  which  brought  us  face  to  face  with  that  gigantic 
form  looking  down  from  sparkling  diadems  of  ice  in 
quiet  grandeur  on  our  pigmy  vessel,  rose  steep  hills 
with  deep  ravines  in  full  garb  of  velvet  green. 

After  obtaining  a  clear  view,  I  found  the  surface  of 
the  water  covered  with  fishing  junks,  some  with  straw 
matting  sails,  others  being  sculled  along  with  an  un- 
gainly long  pole  with  a  paddle  tied  to  its  water  end, 
and  worked  from  the  vessel's  side.  Many  of  these 
queer  craft  seemed  occupied  by  whole  families  as 
naked  and  black  as  Hottentots.  The  first  to  bear 
down  upon  us,  with  its  prow  deep  in  the  water  and 
stern   high   in  the  air,  ludicrously  reminded  us  of  our 


82         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

good  old  great-grandmother's  days  and  her  high-heeled 
slipper,  for  we  have  nothing  but  this  in  America  to  fur- 
nish a  fair  comparison.  Another  striking  feature  is 
that  no  iron  is  used  in  their  construction,  for  they  are 
neatly  dovetailed  and  joined,  and  often  smoothed  down 
to  a  fine  finish,  so  that  they  might  be  said  to  have  been 
Japanned.  Just  imagine  such  a  queer  craft,  with  stark 
naked  bronze  figures,  with  hair  sticking  straight  up  into 
the  air,  silently  but  surely  closing  in  upon  you  from  all 

directions,  and  on  nearer  approach  seen  to  grasp  long 
pikes  with  grappling  iron  or  wooden  hook,  as  if  they 
meant  business !  I  afterwards  became  accustomed  to 
it,  as  I  found,  if  one  will  travel  in  the  Pacific  and 
Indian  Oceans,  he  must  accept  it  as  a  necessary  evil 
or  custom,  call  it  what  you  will. 

After   passing  two  small  coast  settlements    we   saw 
the  rising  ground  on  the  left  of  Yokohama,  and  soon 
reached  the   harbor.     It  is  a  pretty  piece   of  water  as 
you    enter.     The   European   and  American  when  they 
can,   except  the   U.    S.    Consulate,   have   located,   and 
established  hospitals   on   the  high  ground   before  men- 
tioned.    The  low   ground    is   unhealthy  in   summer  on 
account  of  the  sewasre  in  its  canals.     The  vear  before 
my  visit,  nearly    loo   people  had  been  carried   off  by 
cholera  daily.     Many  foreigners  left  for  China  and  the 
United  States  to  escape  danger.     Next  to  these  hospi- 
tals, but  further  to   the    North,  is  another  high   eleva- 
tion,  renowned  for  its   military  and   religious  history. 


IiV  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  83 

that  contains  some  queer  old  slab-like  monuments  stuck 
deep  in  the  ground,  like  so  many  huge  grave-stones. 
This  was  the  first  spot  I  visited,  as  it  seemed  to  giv^e 
me  the  best  view  of  Yokohama,  the  long  winding  river 
to  Tokio  and  the  surroundings.  There  I  ate  my  first 
Japanese  lunch,  and  partook  of  their  sweetmeats  and 
excellent  tea.  The  tiny  cups,  so  fragile  as  to  be  easily 
crushed  between  thumb  and  forefinger,  were  served  by 
two  bright  but  timid  maidens  that  were  lovely  enough 
for  Cinderellas. 

But,  as  I  have  heretofore  done,  I  am  anticipating. 
While  forging  up  the  harbor  against  the  strong  current, 
on  turning  my  glass  to  the  rear,  I  perceived  that  we  were 
closely  followed  by  a  Canadian  Pacific  steamer,  the 
very  one,  probably,  that  would  have  conveyed  me 
hither,  had  I  decided  to  take  the  American  overland 
journey  of  that  new  line.  Just  before  us  lay  their 
Batavia,  once  plying  between  New  York  and  Liverpool 
on  the  Cunard  line,  crippled  by  being  caught  in  the 
recent  typhoon.  Now  out  of  style,  and  rusty,  she 
seemed  almost  patriarchal.  Passing  one  native 
steamer,  and  another  from  China,  we  crowded  on  all 
speed,  and  curved  around  to  where  a  United  States 
man-of-war  rode  at  anchor,  and  with  a  boom  from  our 
gun,  quickly  cast  our  anchors. 

Before  our  motion  ceased,  rap-tat-tap,  some  hundred 
of  bamboo  poles  fasten  to  the  rail,  and  crew  and  offi- 
cers quickly  become  engaged  in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle 


8  4  PLEA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UN  NY  LA  NDS, 

to  keep  the  natives  from  boarding  the  vessel.  In  spite 
of  the  danger,  it  was  a  most  amusing  scene, — men, 
women  and  children  recklessly  sculled  on  their  slight 
but  ungainly  sampans,  thrusting  the  weaker  aside,  and, 
too  eager  to  get  a  fare,  to  notice  the  conflict  on  gang- 
way and  side,  calling  out  till  their  stiff,  porcupine, 
black  hair  seemed  to  dart  out  little  javelins.  The 
hot  sun  of  mid-day  smote  upon  their  wet,  bare  limbs 
and  heads  like  the  flash  of  a  sword.  The  babies 
awakened,  caught  up  the  cry,  and  pandemonium 
reigned.  After  a  score  or  more  got  seriously  hurt, 
the  rest  become  more  governable.  They  took  to  their 
sampans  like  monkeys  from  a  hot  potato,  greedily 
eyeing  the  gangway,  and  springing  out  at  the  first  pas- 
senger so  unlucky  as  to  be  obliged  to  go  ashore. 

With  a  Japanese  friend,  I  stood  under  shelter,  and 
saw  a  lone  Chinaman  carefully  pick  up  his  treasure,  all 
contained  in  one  small  bundle,  and  carefully  pick  his 
way  down  the  steps.  We  were  then  riding  some  twelve 
feet  high.  Up  sprang  a  forest  of  hooked  poles,  in  fear 
that  some  more  fortunate  Jap  might  get  the  prize. 
Each  of  the  hooks  went  straight  for  venturesome 
John,  and  held  fast  to  bundle,  trousers,  man  and  queue 
itself.  All  now  began  quietly  pulling  in  different  direc- 
tions. As  the  resultant  force  of  all  this  motive  power 
was  downward,  of  course  downward  poor  John  had  to 
go.  There  was  a  terribly  disfiguring  look  on  his 
usually  stolid  countenance,  something  like  that  of  a  cat 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  85 

drawn  by  the  tail.  It  was  shameful,  and  everything 
was  done  to  prevent  and  stop  such  an  outrage.  Down 
he  had  to  go,  nevertheless,  while  blows  were  show^ered 
on  the  heads  of  the  perpetrators  with  as  little  effect  as 
an  iron  crowbar  on  that  of  an  active  but  misguided  bull- 
dog. When  he  reached  the  lowest  step,  five  or  more 
sampans  awaited  his  coming,  and  twice  that  number  of 
eager  boatsmen  soon  had  strong  hold  of  his  outposts. 

Then  came  the  tug  of  war.  Amid  bawling  and  fight- 
ing, pushing  this  sampan  out,  and  that  one  in,  the  whole 
let  were  precipitated  into  the  briny  deep,  and  poor 
John,  with  little  clothing  and  less  hair,  was  at  last 
dragged,  half  choked,  into  the  nearest  boat.  Then 
came  a  fight  for  his  baggage.  One  tantalizingly  holds 
out  the  bundle  from  the  water,  and  a  second  tries  to 
allure  the  almost  breathless  owner  over  the  rest  into 
his  craft,  while  another  with  remnants  of  queue  and 
clothing,  pursues  a  like  course  in  another  direction. 
John  is  a  study.  Hundreds  of  throats  from  the 
vessel's  side  seem  to  burst  out  at  once  like  so  many 
cannon,  and  hundreds  of  decayed  oranges,  pine  apples, 
eggs  and  turnips  fly  into  the  soon  gaping  crowd  like 
magic.  The  bundle  is  snatched  by  a  hook.  The  man, 
refusing  to  release  his  hold,  is  suddenly  jerked,  bundle 
and  all,  into  the  sea.  After  a  few  well-directed  blows, 
he  changed  his  mind,  and  was  glad  to  be  helped  into 
his  boat  again,  empty-handed. 

Strange  to  say,    although   this  serves   to  illustrate  a 


86  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

common  experience,  the  participants  seem  to  take  any 
result  in  good  part,  as  a  mere  matter  of  business.  I 
need  not  add,  also,  that  none  but  a  Jap  or  Chinaman 
would  be  treated  in  this  harsh  way,  although  here,  as 
at  Alexandria,  you  are  annoyed  beyond  patience  by 
pulling  and  pushing.  I  need  not  say,  either,  that  my 
conveyance  to  the  shore  was  by  sampan,  and  that,  too, 
with  the  two  ungainly  fifteen-foot  sculls,  worked  by  two 
bright  little  boys  less  than  lo  years  of  age,  and  that  I 
had  a  most  pleasant  and  attractive  journey. 

A  long  strip  of  land,  with  side  paved  to  the  water, 
and  extending  into  the  bay  at  the  foot  of  the  Custom 
House,  and  literally  covered  by  sampans,  is  where  we 
were  first  set  on  shore.  No  sooner  had  we  gained  our 
feet,  and  paid  our  fare  of  20  sen,  than  there  came 
rushing  down  upon  us  a  score  or  more  of  little  covered 
gigs,  not  much  larger  or  stronger  than  a  good-sized 
baby  carriage.  Each  was  drawn  by  a  short  but  trim- 
looking  man,  who  quickly  halted  at  my  side  and  pleas- 
antly inquired,  "Rickisha?  rickisha?"  My  companion 
and  I,  each,  stepped  into  one,  and  side  by  side,  we 
bowled  along  the  smooth  streets  to  a  mone3^-broker's 
office  for  exchange.  I  was  not  surprised  to  find  the 
broker  a  Chinaman,  although  I  confess  to  a  little  disap- 
pointment. His  treatment,  however,  was  fair  and  cour- 
teous. He  gave  me  $6.50  in  yens,  sens  and  smaller 
coins,  for  every  $5  in  gold  I  would  transfer  to  his 
itching  palm.    At  Colon,  we  had  been  offered  $16  for  a 


/X  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  87 

%\o  gold  piece,  both  countries  paying  us  silver,  but  m\'' 
practice  was  to  take  only  the  amount  really  needed  for 
expenses,  as  it  saved  me  the  annoyance  of  carrying  it 
about.  The  tempo,  represented  at  the  end  of  the  last 
chapter  but  one,  is  fast  getting  rare,  and,  really,  is  an 
awkward  coin  to  handle.  It  is  elliptical,  of  copper,  and 
has  the  customary  square  hole  in  its  centre  for  the 
purpose  of  stringing  it  on  the  iron  or  wire  upright  com- 
monly seen  in  the  shops  of  both  Japan  and  China. 
This,  with  the  reckoning  machine,  meets  you  every- 
where. If  you  buy  but  a  sash,  out  comes  the  machine, 
and  the  merchant's  finoers  run  deftlv  over  his  little 
wooden  disks  until  the  sum  is  found,  and,  on  payment, 
your  coin  is  quickly  strung  to  complete  the  purchase. 

The  new  silver  coinage,  of  the  yen,  the  sen  and 
its  sub-divisions  are,  however,  fashioned  solid,  like 
our  coin,  and  are  very  attractive  to  the  common 
people.  They  contain  an  inscription  of  the  National 
dragon  on  one  side,  and  a  wreath  on  the  other.  Paper 
money,  in  little  strips,  is  also  in  use,  reminding  us  of 
our  shinplaster  days  of  the  war.  They  have  a  neat 
and  commodious  railroad  station,  convenient  to  mer- 
chant and  trader.  The  level  tract  on  which  most  of 
the  business-houses  stand  is  right  at  the  water's  edge, 
convenient,  but  not  so  desirable  in  point  of  health. 
Religiously  and  ediicationally,  the  United  States  and 
New  England  are  well  represented  here,  as  their 
places  of  business  abundantly  show,  and  had  we  been 


88         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

content  to  leave  Japan  with  no  knowledge  of  the  in- 
land cities  and  towns,  we  would  have  departed,  I 
think,  with  a  sense  of  pleasure  that  only  comes  from 
appreciation  of  a  worthy  object 

One  fine  morning,  we  were  drawn  to  the  station  by 
our  jinrickisha  men  for  a  trip  to  the  caf^ital,  now  called 
Tokio.  Scores  of  these  little  busy  vehicles  were  going 
the  same  way.  Old  men,  on  foot  with  pretty  little 
children  out  for  a  walk,  seemed  everywhere,  while 
many  a  mother,  with  her  little  one  clinging  pig-aback, 
hurried  along  to  work  or  to  market.  All  wore  wooden 
clogs  or  sandals,  raised  high  from  the  ground,  with  a 
strap  often  between  the  index  toe,  if  I  may  so  speak, 
and  its  next  neighbor,  necessitating  the  curiosity  of 
a  mitten-shaped  stocking.  In  the  muddiest  weather 
you  see  neat  white  socks  perching  on  these  high 
wooden  stilts,  so  to  speak,  and  if  one  slip  off  and  you 
spy  the  aperture  before  mentioned,  do  not  shrink  back 
as  if  it  were  a  rent,  for  it  is  all  for  a  useful  purpose. 
Surely  it  is  not  additional  proof  of  the  Darwin  theory. 
Alighting  at  the  station,  a  mother  passed  on  before 
me.  Down  from  her  back  slips  a  tiny  child.  Tap-tap 
go  two  little  clogs  on  the  pavement,  and  straight  as  an 
arrow,  without  use  of  form  or  hands,  two  little  mittened 
feet  slip  like  mice  into  their  shallow  recesses,  and  like 
a  quail  chicken  with  shell  on  back,  away  trips  the  little 
chap  after  his  fast  retreating  dame. 

Tokio  is  about  i8  miles  north  of  Yokohama  and  can 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  89 

be  reached,  by  water  or  by  rail,  in  about  an  hour's  ride. 
While  waiting,  in  comes  a  woman  of  50,  accompanied 
by  a  maiden  of  about  16  years.  Neither  has  hat  or 
head  covering,  but  rich  folds  of  jet  black  tresses,  care- 
fully arranged  in  broad  plaits,  alone  are  seen.  The 
younger  is  lovely  in  shape  and  personal  attractions, 
but  a  bright  bare  spot  glares  out  from  the  crown  of 
her  otherwise  fair  head,  a  pink  flesh  spot  that  you 
want  to  clap  a  plaster  upon,  and  say,  "  For  Heaven's 
sake,  my  dear,  do  go  and  dress  yourself !  "  The  elder 
smiled  upon  her  comrade  with  effusion,  and  in  that 
smile  —  horrors  !  her  teeth  were  in  deep  mourning.  I 
had  forgotten  that  they  here  require,  in  the  married 
women,  two  rows  of  black,  mummy-like  ivories,  from 
fear  of  a  kiss.  No  one  could  imao;ine  doino^  it ;  whv 
not  then  let  the  pearls  grow,  they  would  drop  out  soon 
enough.  I  had  no  sooner  recovered  from  my  disgust, 
when  in  marched  some  sixty  men  with  long  wooden 
pikes,  ten  feet  in  length  or  more.  Shield-like  hats, 
made  of  palm  or  straw,  rested  on  one  arm,  and  coarse 
mantles  of  like  material  upon  their  shoulders,  while 
coarse  grass  sandals  appeared  strapped  to  their  feet. 
Examining;  them  closelv,  I  concluded  thev  were  not 
soldiers,  as  they  had  no  weapons  except  the  long 
smooth  stock  or  pike.  An  official  soon  came  forward 
and  deprived  them  of  these,  and,  to  my  inquiries, 
stated  they  were  people  from  the  interior  going  up  to 
Tokio  on  a  holiday.     I   somehow  felt  that  I  had  lost 


90         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

a  victory.  Yet  they  were  a  more  martial  and  formid- 
able body  than  the  white-gloved  garrison  I  afterward 
found  at  the  capital. 

At  last  the  short  train,  with  its  tiny  cars,  bore  us 
from  the  station,  by  thatched  hovel,  groups  of  round- 
topped  houses,  queer  image-like  graveyard  stones,  and 
out  into  the  wide  rice  fields  and  richly  cultivated  coun- 
try. Large  water  lilies,  three  feet  high  and  bearing  a 
flower  as  large  as  the  Victoria  regia,  thickly  lined  the 
meadows.  Apple  and  persimmon  trees,  laden  with 
rich  fruit,  clung  to  low  wooden  supports,  and  beans, 
radishes,  onions  and  tea  seemed  everywhere.  The  rice 
fields  are  divided  by  ridges  of  land,  so  that,  after  the 
one-handled  plough  has  been  drawn  through,  by  coolies 
or  an  ox,  and  the  rice  shoots  are  fully  set.  water  may 
be  turned  on  to  keep  the  soil  in  proper  condition  for 
rapid  growth.  After  the  rice  is  cut  with  their  straight- 
bladed  and  long-handled  sickles,  and  the  straw  laid 
aside  for  thatch,  wheat  is  sown.  Three  crops  are 
raised  on  the  same  spot  yearly,  thus  keeping  agricul- 
tural Japan  like  a  garden.  Four  crops  of  alfalfa  were 
shown  me  in  California,  raised  in  one  year  from  the 
same  land ;  but  the  rotation  of  crops,  as  practised  in 
Japan,  is  far  better  for  the  land.  The  apple  referred 
to  is  of  fine  russet  color,  has  the  flavor  and  internal 
appearance  of  a  pear,  and  is  raised  by  training  the 
tree  to  an  arbor.  It  is  almost  tasteless,  however.  On 
the  other  hand,  the  persimmon  is  rich,  sweet  and  juicy. 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  91 

But  on  we  sped,  passing  a  factory  or  two,  and  a 
machine  shop  under  French  engineers,  till  the  old  forts 
barring  the  river,  four  in  number,  round  and  glistening 
like  polished  marble,  suddenly  flashed  into  view.  Yet 
on,  to  the  old  castle  and  palace  of  the  Mikado,  where 
Gen.  Grant  was  received  a  few  years  ago,  and  we  find 
ourselves  within  the  commodious  station  at  Tokio. 
The  place  is  located  on  a  plain,  with  some  attractive 
heights  here  and  there  adjoining  and  relieving  it. 
When  it  was  of  less  importance,  it  was  known  as 
Yeddo.  It  now  is  a  citv  of  a  million  and  a  half  inhab- 
itants,  and  extends  nine  miles  in  length  and  five  miles 
in  breadth.  Its  old  temples  are  the  best  preserved  in 
all  Japan, — lyiyasu,  one,  if  not  their  greatest  hero, 
having  given  it  large  patronage, — lyiyasu,  who  raised 
Yeddo  from  obscurity  to  the  leading  city  and  strong- 
hold of  all  Japan,  and  whose  remains,  removed  from 
the  whispering  cedar  and  booming  sea  at  Kuno-Kan, 
now  rest  among  the  shady  groves  and  bright  lakes  of 
Nik-ko.  There  Buddha  was  first  introduced  by  a 
Shinto  deity.  High  on  the  mountain  side  rises  a  grand 
mausolum,  the  present  resting  place  of  all  that  is  mortal 
of  this  the  greatest  Mikado,  "  The  Great  Light  of  the 
East,  the  Great  Incarnation  of  Buddha." 

Until  the  latter  part  of  the  sixth  century,  Shintoism 
was  the  prevailing  religion,  but  it  was  little  better  than 
a  political  creed.  Nichiron,  I  am  told,  although  a 
Shintoist,  early    began    to    teach    that    if    Buddha   be 


92  PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

obe3^ed  and  followed,  man  would  become  a  part  of  him 
in  the  great  hereafter ;  if  not,  man  will  suffer  repeated 
deaths  and  final  annihilation.  All  are  supposed  to  have 
had  a  prior  existence,  and  to  be  destined  to  suffer  again 
after  death  here,  and  go  on  from  one  life  to  another 
until  the  soul  attains  its  highest  purity.  This  is  the 
same  religion  that  you  find  from  Egypt  to  Japan,  with 
Hindoo,  Malay,  Chinese  and  Japanese,  comprising 
more  devotees  than  any  other  religion  on  the  face  of 
the  globe ;  but,  despite  all  its  temples,  groves  and 
forms,  there  is  no  outward  observance,  except  on  holi- 
days, and  little  vital  religion  here,  as  elsewhere,  unless 
it  be  politeness.  Sea,  land,  and  sky  combine  to  make 
the  land  beautiful  and  sublime,  and  the  belief  in  a 
former  existence  and  future  probation  is  a  fitting 
accompaniment. 

As  we  stepped  from  the  station  to  the  pavement, 
long  lines  of  the  ubiquitous  rickisha  moved  down  upon 
us,  so  much  like  child's  play  as  to  create  a  laugh,  but  in 
we  step,  and  are,  by  direction,  driven  to  the  Consulate, 
and  then,  with  the  necessary  permit,  around  to  the  old 
palace,  closely  walled  to  the  very  water's  edge.  Then 
off  again,  over  bridge,  down  street,  through  the  lilipu- 
tian  bazaars,  which  are  inimitable,  except  by  children 
in  their  play. 

There  are  but  a  very  few  houses  in  either  Japan  or 
China  above  two  stories,  —  hotels,  warehouses,  and 
palaces  being  an  exception.     Most  of   them   are  low 


<  ' 


IX  A   TOUR  AKOUXD   THE   WORLD.  93 

studded,  and  remind  you  of  seaside  cottages  at  home, 
except  the  whole  front  is  open,  and,  if  closed  at  all, 
closed  by  lattice  work  or  paper  slides,  the  paper  serv- 
ing instead  of  glass,  to  admit  the  light.  The  floor  is 
always  raised  a  foot  or  more,  and,  as  you  walk  or  ride 
by,  you  get  a  full  view  of  their  household  economy. 
The  floors  are  divided  into  rooms  by  this  same  sliding 
screen  of  paper  or,  among  the  wealthier  class,  of  silk 
and  ornamental  frames. 

Upon  a  dais,  set  like  a  picture  in  its  frame,  a  Jap- 
anese maiden,  with  clasped  hands  and  bright  face 
turned  upward  to  the  rising  sun,  may  sometimes  be 
seen  at  her  morning  devotion.  The  very  next  neigh- 
bor may  be  an  artisan,  busily  at  work  in  a  correspond- 
ing room.  Such  is  life,  the  dwelling  usually  serving, 
even  in  its  best  room,  for  a  workshop,  art  gallery,  — 
and  then  thev  are  alwavs  curious  and  attractive,  —  and 
reception-room.  It  would  require  a  volume  to  describe 
the  variety  of  lacquer  ware,  carved  ivory,  embroidered 
silk,  and  hand-painted  screens,  pottery  and  bronze, 
which  you  find  everywhere  in  full  view  on  the  leading 
streets.  As  in  its  forests,  you  see  the  tiniest  moss  and 
fern  by  the  side  of  the  noblest  pine,  so  in  Tokio,  you 
find  from  the  frailest  cup  to  the  eternal  bronze. 

Even  if  I  go  on,  how  can  I  give  an  adequate  idea  of 
Tokio  !     Its  temples,  its  old  castle,  reached  by  almost- 
countless  stone  steps  at  an  angle  of  80  deg.  or  more, 
its  University  and  scientific  schools,  its  white-gloved 


94         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

and  white-robed  military,  standing  at  little  boxes  on 
the  street  corners,  its  volcanic  mountains  and  earth- 
quake river  valleys,  its  scarcity  of  bird  and  insect,  its 
rare  abundance  of  fish  and  flower,  pen  fails  to  repre- 
sent. For  the  temples,  it  is  enough  to  say  that,  although 
quaint,  grotesque  and  elaborate,  they  are,  at  the  same 
time,  gaudy  and  cheap,  and  their  shrines  and  priests  a 
relic  of  barbarism.  Yet  I  removed  mv  shoes  and 
tramped  them  over,  out  of  respect  for  the  persevering 
and  enthusiastic  toilers  that  spent  a  life,  perhaps,  in 
their  perfection.  The  dragon,  the  stork,  and  the  large 
mouthed  and  terror-inspiring  deity,  crop  out  every- 
where. So  does  the  American  as  a  tourist,  for  in  ex- 
change for  the  yen  I  handed  the  priest,  the  temple's  cof- 
fers yielded  up  an  Italian  lira  and  a  United  States  nickel 
live-cent  piece,  which  were  handed  me  with  a  smile  by 
the  plump  little  fellow  who  knew  I  was  American. 

There  was  an  eclipse  of  the  sun  that  day,  and  as- 
tronomers from  all  parts  of  the  world  had  met  for 
observations,  and  in  the  absent-mindedness  peculiar  to 
home  clergymen  and  scientists,  the  nickel  was  probably 
passed  off  for  a  fifty-cent  admission.  Although  the  sky 
is  laden  with  dew  and  rain,  and  keeps  the  rich  soil 
capable  of  yielding  sixty-fold  of  rice,  tea,  millet  and 
cotton,  it  smiled  my  whole  stay,  like  the  bright-eyed 
maidens  beneath  it.  The  present  Mikado  is  but  36 
years  old,  and,  unlike  the  ruler  of  old  kept  concealed 
by  shogun  and  daimio,  he  seeks  the  best  and  most  pro- 


IiV  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  95 

gressive  in  Germany,  France,  England  and  the  United 
States,  and  now  promises  to  his  people  in  1890  as  free 
a  country  as  Old  England.  Long  live  both  ruler  and 
people,  to  whom  it  is  nature  itself  to  be  graceful,  cour- 
teous and  happy  ! 

It  was  with  sinking;  heart  that  I  bid  adieu.  It  is 
with  feelings  of  homesicknesss  that  I  now  revive  the 
memory.  The  last  I  saw  of  its  interesting  shores, 
after  Fusi-an,  with  its  ice-bound  summit,  were  its  two 
active  volcanoes.  Smoking  Jack,  and  another  the  name 
of  which  has  gone  from  memory.  The  inland  sea, 
with  mirror -like  surface  and  green  slopes,  —  even 
Nagasaki,  about  the  size  of  Yokohama,  but  dealing  in 
coal  instead  of  indigo,  rice,  tea  and  silk,  as  in  the  latter 
place,  soon  passed  out  of  view,  and  nothing  but  the 
calm,  blue  sea,  with  its  flashing  flying  fish  remained  to 
sustain  our  sinking  spirits.  Countries,  like  individuals, 
attract  and  repel,  and  nothing  could  have  been  more 
deplorable  to  one  in  our  over-strained  condition,  than 
the  change  from  Japan  to  China. 

Shanghai  and  Amoy  we  will  not  describe.  Formosa 
we  saw  next,  but  its  wildness,  both  of  people  and 
shores,  hardly  deserves  our  time,  though  for  the  first 
time  we  met  with  the  little  rectangular  bar  of  silver, 
worth  about  $1.50  in  our  money,  in  use  as  coin,  and  an 
animal  resembling  our  prairie  bison,  used  for  motive 
power,  both  of  which  were  of  some  interest.  A  good 
part  of  the  coast  of   China,  down  to  the  Pearl  river,  is 


96         PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

hilly,  with  now  and  then  a  deep  ravine  or  low  plain. 
The  rivers  appear  in  places  to  have  repeatedly  changed 
their  course,  and  the  hills  appear  barren,  compared 
with  Japan.  Acres  of  whales'  food,  palm  trees  and 
Chinese  fishing  junks  swarmed  around  our  boat,  until 
it  seemed  as  though  we  must  stop,  or  run  the  latter 
down.  But  in  those  quiet  days,  tilted  back  under  the 
deck's  awning,  we  loved  to  recline,  drinking  in  the 
fresh  breeze  and  talking  of  Ward  and  Chinese  Gordon, 
the  foreign  Chinese  heroes,  of  whom  the  latter  had 
lately  met  so  brave  and  heroic  a  death  in  the  Soudan, 
.  and  who  had  not  long  before  sailed  our  very  course. 

They  were  dreamy  days,  and  not  altogether  unprof- 
itable. But  one  day,  while  thus  emplo3^ed,  a  friend 
came  running  up  and,  in  his  inability  to  speak  English, 
caught  hold  of  my  arm  and  led  me  forward  down  the 
companion-way.  He  excitedly  pointed  to  some  fifty 
or  more  Chinamen  grouped  around  the  vessel's  side. 
They  seemed  so  serious  and  businesslike  I,  at  first, 
failed  to  see  the  cause  for  my  companion's  excitement, 
but,  on  approaching  nearer,  the  first  thing  that  caught 
my  eye  was  a  long-necked  goose,  stuffed  and  cooked 
nice  and  brown,  its  mouth  full  of  bon-bons,  and  the 
rest  bedecked  with  celery,  joss  sticks  and  what  not,  in 
close  communion  with  a  plump,  crisp  and  juicy  pig  fit 
for  a  king.  A  quick  upward  movement  of  those  grim- 
visaged  Celestials  sent  goose,  pig  and  all  far  over  the 
vessel's  side,  and  followed  them  with  handfuls  of  strips 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  97 

of  paper  called  prayers.  It  was  a  strange  and,  to  me, 
amusing  scene,  but  the  decorum  was  that  of  a  funeral. 
It  seems  that  a  steamer,  called  the  ''Japan,"  with  sev- 
eral hundreds  of  Chinese,  had  some  years  before  gone 
down  at  this  point,  and  that  all  true  Chinese  were 
expected  to  offer  prayers  and  sacrifice  to  the  Jost  of  the 
sea  in  their  behalf. 

Far  in  the  distance  we  saw  the  heights  of  Southern 
China,  a  long  line  of  smoke  indicating  the  presence  of 
a  sister  boat  in  advance.     Bv  a   little  starboard  move- 
ment,   we   were   able  to  see   a   narrow,  zigzag  passage 
between   high,   abrupt   hills,  into  which  we  soon  has- 
tened.    How   a  sailing  vessel   can  enter  is  a  mystery 
yet  here  they  are,  until   the  channel   becomes   too  nar- 
row for  other  than  our  own,  when  down  shoots  the  sun 
pitilessly  upon  our  heads.     We  can  feel  it,  like  a  knife, 
through  the  thick  canvas  awnings.     On  the  left,  Chi- 
nese are  toiling  up  the  steep  banks  in  the  construction 
of  a  new  fortification.     On   the'  right,  large   oval  white 
spots  appear  upon   the   hillsides.     By  my  glass,  they 
closely  resemble  marble  disks.     A  medical  friend,  who 
had  a  little  knowledge   of  the  place,  informed  me  that 
they  were  Chinese  tombs.     These  I  found  elsewhere, 
especially  at   Canton,  where  whole   hills  were  devoted 
to  the  same  cave-like  burials.     But  on  we  forge,  the 
high  mountains  on  the  left,  the  hills  on  our  right,  till 
we  catch  sight  of   a  signal  station,  followed  by  a  long 
line  of  buildings  unmistakably  European  or  American, 


98  PLEASANT  HOURS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

we  could  not  tell  which.  With  increased  speed,  we 
stand  to  port,  and  a  neat  oval  harbor,  nearly  land- 
locked, with  vessels  of  all  nations,  suddenly  comes  into 
view.  A  little  beyond,  to  the  left,  rose  high  moun- 
tains, precipitous  and  rocky,  with  a  very  small  plain 
covered  with  modern  houses  down  to  the  very  water's 
edge,  while  others  seemed  climbing  and  hanging  to 
craggs  where  iron  rivet  and  chain,  alone,  held  back 
impending  ruin. 

This  was  Hong  Kong,  the  principal  port  for  the 
Chinese  silk  and  tea  trade.  On  we  glide  till,  with  a 
graceful  curve  and  booming  guns,  we  announce  our 
arrival  and  let  slip  the  anchor  chains.  Who  would 
imagine  a  settlement  in  this  queer,  isolated  spot !  It 
seemed  like  finding  the  cave  of  Capt.  Kidd  in  the 
Bahamas.  Taking  a  Chinese  sail-boat,  we  went  ashore. 
The  husband  and  son  manned  the  sails,  the  wife  and 
daughters  steered  our  course,  while  one  or  two  of  their 
almond-eyed  little  ones  crawded  up  from  behind,  fell 
upon  our  necks,  and  peaked  curiously  around  into  our 
faces.  Such  mites  of  humanity,  such  attentive  and  in- 
sinuatino;  little  rascals,  we  foro^ot  our  shirt  bosoms  and 
let  them  hug.  But  it  was  a  genuiite  water  home  for 
the  whole  family.  Summer  and  winter  finds  this 
numerous  family  hived  within  its  narrow  walls.  But 
what  more  shall  we  say  of  this  people,  so  character- 
istically opposite  to  us  in  daily  life  and  custom. 

Some   one  has  said,   ''  This  is  a  country  where  the 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  99 

roses  have  no  fragrance  and  the  women  no  petticoats  ; 
where  the  laborer  has  no  Sabbath,  the  magistrate  no 
sense  of  honor ;  where  the  needle  points  to  the  South, 
and  the  sign  of  being  puzzled  is  to  scratch  the  an- 
tipodes of  the  head;  where  the  place  of  honor  is  on 
the  left  hand,  and  the  seat  of  intellect  is  in  the  stomach ; 
where  to  take  off  your  hat  is  an  insolent  gesture,  and 
to  wear  white  garments  is  to  put  yourself  into  mourn- 
ing." Speaking  of  dress,  its  outward  appearance  is 
the  same  both  for  male  and  female,  with  the  exception 
that  the  frock  and  trousers  of  the  latter  are  broader 
and  more  flowing.  If  you  look  for  style,  your  disap- 
pointment will  be  great  and  lasting.  And  yet  Hong 
Kong  is  not  the  best  place  in  which  to  study  the  Chi- 
nese, as  they  are  too  much  under  English  influence  to 
appear  fully  natural.  In  some  parts  of  China,  although 
shape  or  style  remains  the  same,  there  is  a  great  affecta- 
tion of  delicate  color  and  ornamentation. 

Should  any  one  desire  to  appear  a  la  Chinese,  just 
snatch  up,  immediately  on  rising,  your  two  pillow-cases, 
and  never  so  negligently  join  them  at  the  open  ends. 
Clip  off  the  ends  opposite,  and  boldly  don  them.  You 
are  half  Chinese,  my  friend.  Hurriedly  cut  in  your 
bolster  covering,  if  you  have  one,  two  good-sized  slits 
towards  one  end,  for  the  arms,  and  make  another  aper- 
ture large  enough  for  the  insertion  of  the  head.  Taking 
it  for  granted  that  you  have  put  the  first  articles  on  your 
low^er  extremities,  you  have  but  to  carelessly  throw  the 


100       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

last  over  your  head,  insert  your  arms,  and  perhaps  pull 
the  article  down  a  trifle,  and  you  are  in  full  costume. 
You  feel  queer,  and  conscious,  perhaps,  that  you  look 
still  more  so.  Your  ankles  refused  to  be  covered,  and 
the  arm  bashfully  draws  up  its  full  length.  It  makes 
your  appearance  none  the  less  true.  You  are  in 
mourning,  too.  That,  no  doubt,  will  end  the  experi- 
ment. Many  a  time  have  I  seen  these  Celestials  in 
those  pillow-cases,  and  the  only  additional  article  of 
dress  a  towel,  slit  in  the  middle  for  the  neck,  hanging 
down  fore-and-aft,  so  to  speak,  and  caught  together 
with  cloth  loops  and  buttons. 

When  we  first  came  to  anchor,  the  usual  active  and 
boisterous  scenes  of  Japanese  and  Chinese  ports  were 
again  enacted.  Long,  bamboo  hooked-poles  were,  in 
the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  fastened  to  the  rail,  and  four, 
five,  sometimes  more,  natives  clambered,  like  so  many 
rats,  up  their  dizzy  and  dangerous  heights  on  the  same 
pole  to  deck.  As  I  was  looking  on,  one  snapped,  and 
down  crashed  the  whole  string  of  struggling  humanity 
upon  the  boats  below.  It  would  have  killed  anything 
but  a  Chinaman.  I  could  not  see  even  a  change  of 
countenance  among  the  entire  number.  The  same 
stolid  look,  up-and-try-it-again  expression,  accompanied 
them  to  a  renewed  attempt.  I  need  not  detail  again 
such  a  scene.  The  one  at  Yokohama,  although  mild 
in  comparison,  is  a  good  illustration  of  greed  for  pas- 
sengers in  these  isolated  countries.     Steamers  as  large 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  101 

as  ours  have  been  attacked  in  open  sea,  boarded  and 
overrun  by  swarms  of  these  Chinese  rats,  before  any- 
thing but  hot  water  could  be  turned  upon  them.  They 
call  them  pirates  there,  and  even  since  my  return,  the 
San  Pablo  has  fallen  a  victim  to  their  rapacity  by 
burning. 

On  my  pleasant  sail  with  the  family  referred  to,  in- 
spection of  boat  life  was  easy.  Everything  was  scru- 
pulously clean.  The  boat  was  a  sampan,  with  two 
wide  awnings  for  shelter  from  the  rain  and  sun,  one 
amidships,  and  the  other  over  the  stern,  where  the  wife, 
daughters  and  babies  were  located.  It  was  here,  also, 
that  I  was  placed.  There  was  a  good  breeze,  and  the 
Chinese  sail  is  peculiarly  adapted  for  well-regulated 
power.  It  is  similar  to  a  bat's  wing.  Radiating  spars 
extend  across  its  whole  surface,  which  can  be  reefed 
like  a  fan,  and  almost  as  easily,  so  that,  while  danger 
is  averted,  speed  is  regulated,  and  you  fairly  glide 
along,  skimming  the  water  like  a  bird.  When  landed, 
two  coolies  strung  my  baggage  on  a  bamboo  and  ran 
away,  like  deer,  to  the  hotel.  Hong  Kong  has  two  of 
the  finest  hotels  in  the  whole  world.  The  same  may 
be  said  of  several  of  its  places  of  business,  but  it  is  so 
closed  in  from  the  sea  that  many  Europeans  have 
sought  the  heights,  thousands  of  feet  above,  to  get 
a  breath  of  air.  Punkas,  or  long  hangings  fastened 
on  the  upper  edge  to  the  ceiling,  are  kept  in  motion 
by   coolies    pulling   an    attached   cord.       Its    fan-like 


102       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

motion  sends  a  constant  current  of  cooling  air  in 
both  directions.  The  heat  would  often  be  unbearable 
otherwise.  This  simple  invention  is  in  use  from  Japan 
to  the  Mediterranean.  In  the  saloon  of  ocean  steamers 
it  is  stationed  directly  above  the  tables,  and  is  gener- 
ally kept  in  motion  only  at  meal  time,  when  its  grateful 
fanning  is  as  dear  to  the  traveller  as  a  zephyr  in  the 
desert. 

As  I  write,  my  evening  paper  relates  that  cholera  is 
fast  decimating  the  European  settlements  at  Hong 
Kong.  That  dreaded  disease,  as  well  as  small-pox,  is 
always  to  be  met,  summer  or  winter,  in  this  land  of 
flowers  and  heathen.  The  Emperor,  in  1875,  fell  a 
victim  to  the  latter,  and  many  a  poor  fellow  who  left 
home  a  bright,  rosy  Scotch  or  English  lad,  told  me 
how  his  heart  ached  to  return  to  his  aged  parents  and 
family,  because  his  disfigurement  by  that  awful  curse 
seemed  too  great  a  humiliation  for  lijm  to  force  upon 
their  loving  eyes.  Whenever  I  met  such  a  one,  he 
clung  to  me,  although  a  stranger,  in  such  speechless 
pathos,  it  often  became  painful. 

By  day,  the  streets  of  Hong  Kong  are  nearly  impassa- 
ble on  account  of  the  number  of  jinrickishas,  sedan 
chaits  and  coolies,  and,  to  my  surprise,  the  European 
does  not  hesitate  to  curse,  strike,  and  even  knock  down 
the  Chinaman  who  is  so  unlucky  as  to  get  in  his  way. 
A  few  miles  across  the  harbor  and  you  might  see  the 
tables  turned.     John  will  put  up  with  anything  if  he 


AV  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  103 

can  only  earn  money,  and  he  knows  that  he  must 
stand  the  cuffs  of  the  European  if  he  wants  his  cop- 
pers ;  so  he  grins  and  bears  it.  He  cannot  be  out  on 
the  streets  at  night  later  than  8  o'clock,  and  has  to  do 
his  gambling  and  opium  smoking  in  secret.  Fifteen 
thousand  in  three  years  are  said  to  have  left  here  for 
the  United  States.  There  are  some  15  consuls  of  differ- 
ent nations,  and  about  ten  banking-houses  here,  but, 
as  it  is  a  free  port  and  really  belongs  to  England.  I  do 
not  know  the  amount  of  trade.  It  is  immense,  how- 
ever. Kohloon,  right  across  the  harbor,  is  another 
breathing-place  for  resident  Europeans. 

But  let  us  take  a  side-wheel  steamer  for  Canton, 
which  lies  some  75  miles  northwest  of  Victoria  or 
Hong  Kong,  as  it  is  called.  The  boat  draws  but  little 
water,  and  so  lies  at  the  wharf  a  little  south  of  the 
hotel.  She  easilv  swing-s  off  and  slowlv  steams  down 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Pearl  River,  on  which  Canton 
with  its  canal  and  narrow  windinsf  house-rafts  is  located. 
Our  companions  are  all  Chinamen.  We  think  of  rats 
and  lice.  You  really  thank  heaven  that  the  Mandarins 
of  this  beni2:hted  land  have  set  their  condemnation  on 
railroads.  It  is  a  lucky  escape  from  the  three-in-a-seat 
system  3'ou  feel  would  here  prevail.  Do  you  see  that 
dark-skinned,  monkey-faced  John  squat  on  the  deck  ? 
Yes,  You  notice  that  he  has  removed  his  only  upper 
garment,  a  flimsy,  dilapidated  affair,  and,  having  turned 
it  inside  out,  seems  strangeh^  contemplative.     If   you 


104      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

will  step  nearer  you  will  observe  a  smile  play  over  his 
usually  taciturn  features  as  he  swoops  down  upon  a 
little  spot  of  activity  within  the  folds  of  said  raiment. 
With  a  deftness,  gained  only  by  long  practice,  there  is 
a  sudden  transfer  of  hand  to  mouth,  and,  although 
fully  convinced  that  the  wicked  flea  no  man  pursueth, 
you  quickly  beat  a  retreat.  \A'ith  hill  on  each  side,  for 
eight  hours  you  pursue  the  even  tenor  of  your  way, 
till  a  high  pagoda,  thickly  massed  sampans,  rafts  con- 
taining whole  families,  and  large  warehouses  come 
suddenly  into  view.  The  banks  are  lined  with  sam- 
pans, and  the  shore  and  streets  swarm  with  the  pigmy 
Chinamen,  while  above,  with  the  exception  of  several 
pagodas  and  temples  piercing  the  air,  there  is  nothing 
but  a  plain  of  red-tiled  roofs. 

Canton  is  well  walled,  however,  and,  it  would  seem, 
regularly  laid  out,  but  none  of  the  streets  are  more 
than  eight  or  ten  feet  in  width,  and,  in  your  chair,  car- 
ried by  being  swung  from  the  shoulders  of  from  two  to 
four  coolies,  you  are  in  mortal  fear  of  causing  serious 
damage  to  shins,  if  no  other  property,  of  busy  John. 
Mahometanism  as  well  as  Buddhism  is  represented  by 
an  ancient  temple.  The  English  and  French  for  years 
have  at  times  controlled  the  destiny  of  the  place,  and 
many  a  siege  it  has  been  obliged  to  undergo  before 
reaching  its  present  state.  Whole  hills,  on  one  side, 
are  devoted  to  graves  and  tombs  for  the  dead.  One 
of  the  largest  temples,  a  Buddhist,  called  the  "  Temple 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  105 

of  the  Ocean  Banner,"  covers  seven  acres  of  ground,  is 
surrounded  by  a  wall  and  laid  out  into  courts.  Here 
also  are  gardens  and  a  cemetery  for  the  ashes  of  the 
priests,  whose  bodies  are  usually  burned.  There  are 
about  2,000  nuns  and  priests  in  the  city,  nearly  all  of 
whom  belong  to  Buddhist  temples.  These  are  gloomy, 
uninteresting  structures.  One  visit  suffices.  Even 
where  the  idol  sits  or  lies  enshrined,  there  is  but  feeble 
light,  and  that  only  in  front.  The  Mosque  is  an  angu- 
lar, tapering  tower,  about  160  feet  high,  erected  by 
Arabian  adventurers  centuries  ago.  A  pagoda  of  nine 
stories,  octagonal  in  form  and  170  feet  high,  thirteen 
centuries  old,  stands  near  the  west  gate. 

The  market  in  Japan  contained  shark  and  other 
strange  food,  but  here  it  was  a  source  of  still  greater 
amusement.  My  readers  may  not  know  that  the  Chi- 
nese use  no  milk  nor  any  of  its  products,  as  cheese  or 
butter.  Among  their  delicacies  we  observed,  as  in  a 
dream,  cats,  dogs — not  in  the  form  of  sausage,  but 
plain  matter-of-fact  dog-meat — owls,  hawks,  horse-flesh, 
rodents,  and  edible  birds'  nests.  Surely,  if  these  are 
delicacies,  it  is  not  hard  to  understand  how  industrious 
John  lives  and  thrives  where  others  would  starve. 
There  are  many  other  curious  things  in  this  immense 
country  that  really  have  an  abiding  interest.  There 
is  the  tallow  tree  ;  there  is  the  wax  insect  which,  placed 
on  the  leaves  of  a  tree,  after  a  short  time  leaves  a 
waxy    deposit,    which    is    removed    and    thrown    into 


lOG       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

m 

boilers  and  rendered  into  solid  wax,  and  afterward 
moulded  into  sugar-loaf  cakes.  There  is  the  camphor 
laurel,  the  blacking  tree,  the  bamboo,  the  lichee, 
bearing  a  pleasant  fruit  in  grape-like  clusters,  each 
enclosed  in  a  covering  similar  to  the  oak  ball ;  the  var- 
nish tree ;  the  mulberry,  upon  which  millions  of  silk- 
worms, on  fan-like  palms,  are  ravenously  and  noisily 
feeding.  Even  silk  is  found  wild.  There  are  rubies, 
precious  stones,  fire -crackers  and  palm-leaf  fans,  which 
are  exported  to  New  York  alone  to  the  amount  of 
$5,000,000  annually,  cassia  buds,  and  about  Amoy,  the 
well-known  Bohea  tea,  which  is  erroneously  called  after 
the  Woo  e  Mountains  in  its  neighborhood.  Amoy  also 
exports  sugar  and  fine  sugar  candies,  but  the  Island  of 
Formosa,  opposite,  is  still  richer  in  sugar,  and  also 
exports  largely  sulphur,  jute,  camphor,  grass  cloth  and 
rice  paper.  In  places  the  rivers,  in  summer,  carry 
down  to  the  plains  their  burden  of  sediment  and  leave 
it  bare  on  their  banks.     The  followins:  winter  finds  the 

industrious  Celestial  busily  washing  from  its  varied 
constituents    the    bright   yellow   gold.       Hemp   grows 

often  more  than  12  feet  in  height  for  miles. 

Thus  might  one  go  on  about  this  busy  yet  stagnant 
land,  the  rich  Cathay  of  the  Middle  Ages.  In  1247, 
some  one  writes  of  this  strange  land  :  "  The  country 
is  very  rich  in  corn,  in  wine,  in  gold  and  silver,  in  silk, 
and  every  kind  of  produce  for  the  support  of  man- 
kind.    The    sea    lies    between    it    and    India.     These 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  107 

Cathayans  are  little  fellows,  speaking  much  through 
the  nose,  and  have  very  narrow  eyes.  The  common 
money  consists  of  pieces  of  cotton  paper,  about  a  palm 
in  length  and  breadth,  upon  which  certain  lines  are 
printed.  They  do  their  writing  with  a  pencil,  such  as 
painters  paint  with,  and  a  single  character  of  theirs 
comprehends  several  letters,  so  as  to  form  a  whole 
word."  It  is  hoped  that  their  cotton  money  never 
served  them  the  rascally  turn  of  our  linen  paper 
money  in  1862.  It  is  interesting  to  note  its  existence 
at  that  early  date,  as  well  as  the  use  of  the  brush  in- 
stead of  the  pen  in  writing,  just  as  they  do  to-day. 
They  manipulate  it  with  all  the  skill  of  an  artist,  and, 
as  almost  every  one  can  read  and  write,  the  eye 
is  early  trained  and  passable  artists  made  of  all. 
Here  printing  was  invented  eight  centuries  or  more  in 
advance  of  Guttenburg,  and  here  Columbus  bent  his 
adventurous  eye  when  he  sailed  west  from  Cadiz, 
Then  Cathay  and  Zipangun  ;  or  China  and  Japan,  were 
the  El  Dorado  of  all  Europe.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  fabulous  riches  they  were  reported  to  contain. 
But  age  and  precedent  are  not  marked  by  inventions 
alone.  Moral  training  and  social  influence  run  in  the 
same  old  beaten  track,  and  among  a  good  deal  that 
seems  strange  and  undesirable  something  might  be 
learned  with  profit  by  the  people  of  our  own  country. 

One   thing   is   filial  piety,  the    respect   and   love  of 
parent  for  child  and  child  for  parent,  whatever  be  the 


108       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

age,  condition,  or  estate.  You  see  miles  of  boats  and 
rafts  on  the  rivers,  apparently  overrun  with  people, 
who  live  thereon  the  year  round.  You  see  their  small, 
one,  or  at  best,  two-storied  dwellings,  similarly  crowded 
with  humanity.  Why  t  Do  not  set  it  down  to  economy 
alone,  for  it  is  largely  from  filial  affection.  As  soon  as 
a  son  is  able  to  take  care  of  himself,  he  does  not  run 
away  from  home,  or  ungratefully  curse  his  parent  for 
no  better  support  or  condition,  but  puts  his  shoul- 
der to  the  wheel  and  makes  it  move  more  easily. 

Then  too  a  wife  is  early  sought,  by  some  female  go- 
between,  and,  if  acceptable,  the  son  presents  her  with 
a  little  book  bearing  the  impress  of  a  dragon  on  one 
side  and  a  phoenix  on  the  other,  emblems  of  conjugal 
fidelity.  If  both  families  are  satisfied,  she  is  brought 
home,  thus  forming  around  the  old  a  nucleus  for  a 
new  household.  This  seems  a  redeeming  feature  to 
many  of  their  dark  ways.  Frugal,  persevering,  en- 
lightened, they  are  the  equal  of  any  race,  but  without 
these  qualities  they,  as  any  other  like  people,  are  a 
curse  to  the  neighborhood  they  infest.  The  compres- 
sion of  the  feet  of  their  female  infants  is  a  practice 
slowly  decaying,  yet,  on  all  sides,  that  naked  member 
still  thrusts  its  tortured  shape  before  your  critical  eye. 
The  width  of  the  foot  often  seems  unnatural,  and  be- 
neath the  arch,  so  beautiful  in  the  natural  member, 
runs  an  ugly  depression,  while  above  the  prominent 
heel  is  another  fissure  still  more  deforming.     Surely, 


IiV  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD. 


109 


a  whole  field  of  corns  is  of  rarer  loveliness  than  this 
monstrosity.  .  But  it  is  intended  for  a  covering  of 
sock  and  slipper !  A  good  illustration  of  modern 
morality ! 


A    CHINESE    NUT. 


CHAPTER    VI. 

In  India's  spicy  breezes  bathed, 
Peace  to  mind  and  heart. 


0 


'N  my  return  to  Hong  Kong,  I  remained  barely 
long  enough  to  dine  with  a  friend  at  his  neighboring 
bungalow,  and  inspect  the  Indian  Sepoy,  the  Sikh 
guards  and  soldiers  of  the  English  garrison,  now  re- 
nowned for  their  physical  and  manly  beauty.  By  mid- 
day we  were  aboard  an  East  India  steamer,  and  at 
once   under  full   speed,  were  ploughing  along  to  the 


110       PLEASANT  HO URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

China  Sea.  Without  looking  after  baggage,  I  climbed 
to  the  bridge,  but  found  myself  confronted  by  an  active 
and  apparently  earnest  bull-dog,  which  eyed  me  with 
an  expression  that  plainly  meant  business.  As  he 
seemed  to  have  no  human  companions,  and  I  no  ani- 
mal friends,  my  only  safety  was  to  boldly  push  on. 
And  on  I  went,  despite  the  quickly  curling  lip  and 
formidable  array  of  glistening  teeth,  I  remember  call- 
ing—  gently,  I  thought  —  the  horrid  beast,  "Beauty," 
but  why,  except  from  a  forced  conviction  that  the  way 
he  could  take  hold  was  most  pointedly  expressed  by 
that  term,  passes  all  comprehension.  It  cannot  be 
from  love.  My  memory  will  not  allow  me  to  say  it 
was  from  sarcasm.  With  a  swing  to  the  left,  I  landed 
in  the  lower  wheel-house,  where  I  snatched  up  a  handy 
marine  glass  and  shot  out  its  long  sections  square  into 
the  bounding  brute's  eyes. 

With  a  loud,  short  bark,  he  crouched  upon  his 
stumpy  legs  and  sprang  to  this  side,  then  that,  in  joy- 
ous play,  as  if  to  say,  "  How  glad  I  am  to  see  you.  I 
have  been  dozing  in  the  sun,  and  my  eyes  at  first  took 
you  for  a  heathen.  You  have  come  to  play,  I  see. 
Let  me  just  have  hold  of  that  end  ? "  That  end,  he 
had  often  had  hold  of,  a  fact  clearly  proven  by  the 
many  little  dents  and  scratches  along  its  otherwise 
smooth  surface.  Fully  recognizing  the  value  of  cau- 
tion, when  dealing  with  the  grinning,  either  dog  or 
man,   I   suffered  not  the  wily  foe  to  get  around  to  the 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  Ill 

rear,  but  kept  him  amused  until  I  had  gained  the  upper 
bridge,  with  which  Eastern  vessels  are  now  supplied. 
There  I  found  the  Captain,  chief  officer,  and  a  Malay- 
quartermaster.     The   wheel  of  this   upper  bridge  did 
not  exceed  a  foot  in  diameter,  and  could  be  controlled 
with  two  fingers,  the  steering  power  really  being  done 
by  steam.     The  quickness   and   reliability,   as  well  as 
ease,   of  guiding  such  a  mighty   object   as  the   ocean 
steamship  amid  the  many  little  islands  and   channels 
found  here,    and  often    so   suddenly   approached   that 
even  the  united  force  of  four  men,  as  are  often  needed 
at  the  wheel  of  some  vessels,  strike  one  as  marvellous. 
A  loud  cry  from  the  deck  caused  me  to  step  to  the 
rail    and    look    down.       Hundreds    of    Chinese    stood 
before   me  wildly  gesticulating  and   pointing  to  their 
native  shore.     A  boat  on   our  port  was  being  towed 
along  at  a  speed  which  almost  lifted  it  bodily  out  of 
the  water,  and  I  had  about  concluded  the  outcry  to  be 
nothing  more  than  a  signal  to  throw  off  the  tow-line, 
when  a  stalwart  John  came  rushing  down  the  deck  and 
began  belaboring   all   about  him   with   a    stout   cane. 
Splash  —  thud  —  splash  again,   and  then  so   often,  we 
turned  to  the  water.     One  Chinaman  had  sprung  over 
the  rail,  directly  in  front  of  the  racing  junk,  and  had 
been   struck  with   force   enough  to  kill.     Up   he  rose, 
however,    and   struck   boldly  out   for   the  neighboring 
shore.     Another  followed,  then  another  and  another, 
till  a  score  or  more  were  earnestly  making  for  liberty. 


112       PLEASANT  HO URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

On,  faster  and  faster,  we  cleft  the  quiet  water,  till 
some  one  succeeded  at  last  in  casting  off  the  tow  and 
thus  securing  quiet. 

As  I  looked  down  on  the  unhappy  faces  below^  I 
recalled  a  statement  made  to  us  before  starting,  that 
we  were  to  carry  out  to  the  East  Indies,  on  contracts 
of  one  or  more  years,  several  hundreds  of  Chinese  as 
plantation  laborers.  These  had  never  left  their  homes 
or  native  land  before,  and  had  been  tempted  to  come 
aboard  and  undertake  the  journey  on  the  promise  of 
50  or  so  silver  dollars  a  year.  It  is  little  better  than 
slavery,  and  as  soon  as  their  native  shores  began  to 
recede,  thoughts  of  home  proved  too  strong  for  the 
coveted  bribe,  so  pell-mell  over  they  plunged,  like  por- 
poises in  a  breeze,  too  much  excited  to  realize  danger 
either  from  boat  or  sea.  It  was  a  strange  sight,  and 
meant  escape  from  harsh  treatment,  poor  food  and 
cruel  blows,  a  worse  fate  than  that  of  our  slave  in 
i860,  so  we  looked  on  in  speechless  sympathy.  There 
were  sullen  brows  that  night,  and  many  a  day  there- 
after, as  little  knots  of  dark-visaged  coolies  crowded 
together  and  discussed  the  situation.  But  we  were 
in  the  teeth  of  a  stiff  S.  W.  monsoon,  that  piled  the 
deck  high  with  foaming  billows  that  drove  the  unfor- 
tunate cooley  below. 

The  Chinese  Sea  can  be  strong  and  beautiful,  but 
never  gentle  and  quiet  before  a  monsoon.  Up,  up, 
rose  our  gallant  ship,  and  then  like  a  dolphin,  straight 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.         113 

as  an  arrow,  down  plunged  her  nose  into  the  very 
depths.  For  several  days  we  experienced  just  such 
wild  and  dangerous  treatment.  The  coast  of  Anam 
rose  high  to  the  starboard,  until  we  passed  Hue  and 
came  to  Saigon,  the  scene  of  the  French  war  with  the 
Black  Flags,  when  it  gradually  became  more  low  and 
sandy.  I  was  told  that  the  elephant,  tiger  and  panther 
still  run  wild  along  these  shores,  but  we  were  not  so 
fortunate  as  to  meet  any,  though  we  saw  fires  at  night 
built  for  protection  from  them.  Bankok,  the  capital 
of  Siam,  lies  around  to  the  right,  but  quite  30  miles  up 
the  river.  Our  steamer  was  too  large  to  get  across  the 
bar,  and,  to  my  regret,  I  was  obliged  to  forego  my  visit 
to  the  Sacred  Elephants.  My  zeal  was  somewhat  com- 
pensated by  looking  at  the  surrounding  country,  and 
in  meeting  a  young  Scotchman  just  returned  from  that 
city,  who  related  his  experience,  but  one  much  too 
long  for  insertion  here.  His  story  was,  that  there  are 
two  barns  or  places  for  the  sacred  white  elephants  of 
the  Emperor,  and  that  one  was  open  to  all.  He  also 
repeated  the  story — which  occurred  to  me  as  old — that 
one  day  the  Empress  was  being  conveyed  across  the 
water,  and  as  all  on  board  were  faithful  subjects  and 
had  been  taught  that  death  would  be  meted  out  to  him 
who  should  be  so  sacrilegious  as  to  lay  his  hand  on 
Her  Majesty,  they  kept  piously  aloof,  and  when  by  acci- 
dent she  happened  to  slip  into  the  treacherous  deep,  they 
stood  quite  as  piously  looking  on,  and  let  her  drown. 


114       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

I  believe  it  is  merely  another  version  of  Johnny  Sands. 
"  And  she  went  in,  of  course.  I  can't,  my  dear,  though 
much  I  wish,  but  you  have  tied  my  hands." 

But  what  shall  we  say  of  one  of  the  largest  islands 
of  the  whole  world,  which  I  soon  found  right  in  my 
path,  and  which  also  presents  the  queer  status  of  a 
rapidly-growing,  or  rising  island.  Borneo  is  but  little 
known,  except  on  its  coast,  and  a  few  miles  towards  the 
interior,  but  Sarawak  lies  in  so  temperate  a  climate,  and 
not  so  far  from  the  equator,  we  may  say  a  few  words  of 
this  part  of  the  strange  land.  The  Dutch  seem  to 
control  a  good  part  of  the  island,  though  the  English, 
since  the  advent  of  Sir  James  Brooke  in  1846,  have 
taken  no  slight  part  in  the  commerce  and  mining. 
Besides  coal,  antimony,  copper,  iron,  tin,  gold,  dia- 
monds, quicksilver,  platina,  sulphur,  marble,  and  even 
petroleum,  are  found  in  paying  quantities.  There 
seem  to  be  no  active  volcanoes  about,  although  its 
peaks  are  certainly  those  of  old  activity,  and  that 
reminds  me  that  while  looking  upon  the  old  crater  of 
Tusiyama,  with  its  fires  supplanted  by  perennial  ice 
and  snow,  we  could  not  help  believing  that  it  might 
once  again  burst  out  in  all  its  old-time  power  and 
grandeur,  and  my  evening's  paper  recounts  an  outbreak 
of  a  companion  with  the  loss  of  300  lives  and  1,000 
injured.  True,  that  is  Japan,  but,  as  the  earthquake 
and  coral  insect  is  constantly  adding  to  Borneo's  im- 
mense domain,   it  will  not  be  strange  that  the  eath- 


nv  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  Ho 

quake  may  sometime  give  way  to  the  mountain  out- 
break. The  elephant,  rhinoceros,  ourang-outang  and 
many  forms  of  ape,  the  honey  bear,  oxen,  pigs,  croco- 
dile, deer,  boa-constrictor  and  eagle,  run  wild.  Among 
the  palms,  the  cocoanut  and  sago  are  the  most  impor- 
tant. Slavery  still  exists  in  the  island.  Kuching  is 
the  principal  place,  and  a  nephew  of  Sir  James  Brooke 
is  rajah  or  ruler. 

Here  it  was  that  we  came  across  the  delicious  trop- 
ical fruits  of  the  Indies,  the  mangosteen,  the  durian, 
and  the  custard  apple.  Strolling  about  one  day,  my  atten- 
tion was  attracted  by  some  round,  reddish-brown  balls, 
about  the  size  of  a  common  apple,  with  a  slender  stem, 
having  at  its  base  several  close-fitting  capsules  or  leaves, 
scattered  along  beneath  my  feet.  They  were  so  artistic, 
I  gathered  some  out  of  mere  curiosity.  Finding  them 
too  hard  to  separate,  I  drew  the  blade  of  my  knife 
across  the  thick  outer  covering,  having  to  use  as  much 
force  as  in  opening  an  oyster.  This  shell  grated 
against  the  blade  like  dried  leather,  and  refused  to  be 
removed,  so  I  with  some  awkwardness  cut  it  quite  in 
halves.  The  mangosteen  is  largely  hollow,  but  right  in 
its  centre,  clinging  to  the  upper  and  inner  terminus  of  the 
stem,  Avere  several  little  creamy-white  sacks,  which 
entered  my  mouth  so  quickly  there  was  no  time  to 
think  either  of  malaria  or  poison.  But  ah,  it  was  like 
nectar  !  The  durian,  at  full  ripeness,  however,  has  a 
fragrance  peculiarly  its  own,  to  which  onions  and  gar- 


116      PLEASA NT  HO  URS  IN  S UNNY  LA NDS, 

lie  are  roses  in  comparison.  It  also  has  a  strong, 
spiky  husk,  and,  should  one  happen  your  way,  with 
only  the  force  of  its  gravity  from  an  overhanging 
bough,  you  would  be  surprised  at  its  forcible  impres- 
sion and  the  length  of  time  you  bear  it  in  memory. 
Pepper,  cinnamon,  clove  and  nutmegs,  are  among  the 
common  exports  here,  and  the  rhododendron,  pitcher 
plants  and  orchids  smile  upon  you  everywhere. 

The  original  people  are  the  Dyaks  and  Malays. 
The  Dyak  is  a  little  larger  of  the  two,  but  though 
intelligent  and  truthful  beyond  many  in  our  own  land, 
they  have  little  or  no  education,  name  the  months 
as  first,  second,  and  so  on,  and  measure  hours  by  the 
sun's  height  from  the  horizon.  Distances  from  Sarawak 
to  points  in  the  East  are  also  measured  by  the  same 
process,  it  taking  the  native  the  time  indicated  by  the 
sun's  position  to  travel  to  a  given  place.  The  Dyak 
expends  little  for  clothing,  the  men  using  but  a  narrow 
waist-cloth  of  red  or  blue  cotton,  and  the  women  seem 
content  with  something  of  a  like  nature,  only  descend- 
ing further  towards  their  knees,  but  often  as  scant  and 
as  awkward  an  impediment  to  easy  progress  as  that  of 
their  white  sisters  in  America.  The  blow-tube  and 
spear  are  still  in  use  as  weapons,  and  the  bird  or  mon- 
key is  generally  doomed,  if  the  tube  is  once  raised  to 
the  mouth,  or  the  javelin  leaves  the  hand.  But  I  am 
forgetting  that  my  object  is  to  merely  outline,  not  to 
give  a  detailed  account  of  my  trip,  so  let  us  aboard 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  117 

and  cross  to  the  southwest.  The  monsoon  is  awaiting 
our  coming,  but  struggles  with  us  but  a  day.  \\q  pass 
three  large  islands,  all  uninhabited ;  Point  Varella;  the 
Ass's  Head;  and  are  within  loo  miles  of  the  equator. 
From  my  diary,  I  find  that  it  was  not  the  monsoon 
that  most  troubled  me  here,  but  no  greater  a  thing 
than  curry  and  rice,  and  that  my  Chinese  servant  was 
shocked  at  my  persistence  in  refusing  his  much-prized 
peppery  dish  for  this  cunningly  deyised  sweet  meat. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  low-lying  coast  of  Lower 
Siam  and  the  ]\Ialay  Peninsula  rose,  like  a  silyer 
thread,  on  our  starboard.  Soon,  by  my  glass,  long 
lines  of  beautiful  palms  stood  dimly  out  on  the  distant 
horizon.  It  was  not  long  before  our  whole  yiew 
changed  to  mirrored  sea  and  graceful  palms.  The  land 
seemed  to  haye  suddenh'  disappeared  and  left  the 
trees  bathed  in  deep  water.  The  whole  scene  was  of 
more  than  earthly  beauty.  For  hours  no  change  came 
except  our  steady  approach  to  the  equator.  Xow  and 
then  a  canoe  or  collection  of  thatched  huts  peeped 
out  from  between  the  foliage,  and  soon  a  Malay  boat 
bore  slowly  down  upon  us.  We  paid  it  no  official 
attention.  Other  boats,  long,  graceful  double-enders, 
laden  to  the  gunwale  with  rare  sea-shells  and  fruit,  soon 
followed  as  fast  as  paddle  and  Malay  muscle  could 
propel  them,  but  the  quiet  of  sea  and  sky,  amid  the 
vast  wealth  of  palms  and  forest  verdure,  drove  hu- 
manity quite  out  of  mind.     Ah,  here  at  last  was  quiet 


118       PLEAS  A  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UNNY  L  A  NDS, 

and  rest !  Here,  when  a  school-boy  we  read,  roamed 
the  savage  man-eating  and  cruel  torturing  pirate  of  a 
Malay.  There,  within  a  stone's  throw,  in  gracefully- 
constructed  boats,  as  pretty  as  the  gondolas  of  Venice 
—  and  quite  as  black  —  with  reddish-brown  skins  and 
attractive  faces,  sat  their  descendants.  If  those 
stories  had  been  of  the  lower  Chinese,  they  would 
have  seemed  more  credible.  I  do  not  mean  to  inti- 
mate that  we  were  unarmed.  On  every  steamer,  from 
Japan  to  Egypt,  there  was  no  end  of  breech-loading 
guns,  cutlasses  and  small  arms,  and  the  wheel-house 
was  always  lined  with  them,  but  in  all  my  trip  in  the 
Malay  Archipelago  they  were  scarcely  given  a  thought. 
But  on  we  went.  Miles  after  miles  of  low  coral 
islands  to  the  southeast  and  the  northeast,  some  below 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  none  much  above  it, 
seemed  to  grow  before  our  fascinated  vision.  From 
Horseborougk  Light-House  to  Java  there  was  little 
change,  though  southeast  of  Sumatra  the  groups 
appeared  the  most  interesting.  Not  to  dwell  on  these 
two  islands,  as  they  belong  to  the  Dutch  and  are 
changing  their  exports,  much  tobacco  being  raised  at 
the  present  time,  I  will  merely  say  this,  that  the 
natives  were  most  courteous  and  hospitable,  and  the 
resident  Dutch  so  kind  and  painstaking  that  we 
seemed  to  be  always  at  home.  Most  of  the  merchants 
and  planters  speak  the  English  language  with  pleasing 
correctness,  and  many  a  time  have  we  found  the  native 


o 
\- 
< 

o> 

ui 

ai 

X 

\- 
< 

o 

X 

> 
< 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  119 

as  amusingly  proficient.  Love  for  flowers  and  birds 
seems  strong  among  the  Javanese,  and  often  while 
conversing,  you  will  catch  them  feeding  the  chance 
bird  or  caressing  the  wayside  flower. 

In  due  time  we  entered  Malacca  Strait,  and  made 
for  the  Malay  shore  until  we  reached  the  old  Malay 
Singapore,  now  under  the  control  of  Governor  General 
Weld  of  the  English  Government.  For  the  first  time 
since  leaving  San  Francisco  we  ran  up  to  a  dock  and 
were  able  to  land  without  hiring  a  native  boatman. 
Long,  pointed  boats,  swiftly  propelled  by  large  paddles, 
followed  us  up  the  channel  and  displayed  every  variety 
of  coral,  sea-shell  and  fruit  in  so  tempting  an  array, 
that  we  ached  to  buy  them  all.  A  village,  built  on 
poles,  perched  as  if  on  stilts  before  us,  and  at  high 
tide  so  separated  from  the  woods  around,  that  no 
wild  beast  could  attack,  reminded  me  of  Borneo.  The 
beaches  were  lined  with  canoes,  which  now  and  then 
shot  out  over  the  smooth  water  with  the  ease  of  a  bird. 
The  air  was  heavy  with  the  fragrance  of  spice  and 
flowers.  A  long,  level  road,  skirting  the  water,  seemed 
alive  with  little  two-wheeled  carts  drawn  by  a  yoke  of 
small  white  cattle,  guided  by  a  native  Malay  in  some 
such  a  way  as  we  drive  the  horse.  The  cattle  all  had 
long,  clear  horns,  which  swept  upward  and  backward, 
and  then  with  graceful  curve  to  the  front  again,  just  as 
if  their  natural  tendency  to  grow  straight  forward  had 
been  regulated  by  a  force  to  the  rear.     The  yoke  was 


120       PLEA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IX  S  UN  NY  LA  iVDS, 

tied  to  the  horns,'  or  placed  between  them  and  a  prom- 
inent hump  on  the  posterior  part  of  the  neck. 

The  native,  as  lithe  and  as  gracefully  formed  as  a 
maiden,  with  long  dark  locks  crowned  by  a  long  piece 
of  colored  cloth,  arranged  turban  style,  sat  just  behind 
his  horned  steeds  grasping  a  pair  of  lines  running  out 
and  attached  to  the  nose  of  each  animal.  It  was  a 
strange  sight.  The  Malay  had  nothing  but  a  narrow 
cotton  waist-cloth  and  an  ear-ring  for  clothing,  and  as 
often  as  I  saw  them  working  on  the  road  or  transport- 
ing merchandise,  it  was  hard  to  believe,  on  account  of 
their  girlish  figures,  that  they  were  not  women  in  dis- 
guise. Here  I  was,  but  half  of  my  world  journey 
accomplished,  yet  totally  forgetful  of  the  many  long 
miles  between  me  and  home.  As  I  look  back,  my 
gratitude,  on  thinking  of  the  pleasure  that  this  country 
and  people  so  richly  afforded  me,  is  inexpressible. 
Wherever  simplicity  and  honesty  reigned,  it  was  almost 
impossible  to  tear  myself  away.  It  was  so  refreshing 
from  the  so-called  civilized  life  at  home. 

What  Sir  James  Brooke  was  to  Borneo,  Sir  Stamford 
Raffles  has  been  to  Singapore,  and  as  I  walked  down 
its  long  and  pretty  marine  park,  his  recently  erected 
statue  gazing  out  over  the  magnificent  sea  and  waving 
palms,  was  the  first  object  to  attract  my  attention. 
"Sinhapura,"  or  "Lion  City,"  was  first  settled  by  the  ^la- 
lay  and  Javanese,  but  was,  for  years,  little  better  than  the 
haven  of  South  Sea  pirates.     Since  the  English  have 


I.V  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  121 

made  it  the  capital  of  their  Straits  Settlements,  its 
miles  of  pretty  shore  have  been  utilized  for  extensive 
commerce.  Just  below  me  were  the  large  docks  of  the 
P.  and  O.  Steamship  Co.,  and  about  the  same  distance 
from  the  New  Harbor  rose  those  of  the  Messasieries 
Maritimes,  the  well-known  French  line.  Besides  these 
the  Government  own  many  also.  The  soil  is  a  red 
clay,  and  as  there  are  169  rainy  days  during  the  year, 
we  practically  wore  red  shoes  the  whole  stay.  This  was 
our  only  point  of  resemblance  to  the  native,  however. 
To  present  ourselves  in  a  bright  turban,  a  waist  ribbon 
and  one  earring  was  too  much  for  our  courage.  We  had, 
too  often,  fought  against  prevailing  style  at  home  to  wil- 
lingly yield  here.  The  women  are  slender,  graceful  and 
entertaining — when  you  can  understand  them.  Be- 
sides the  short  cotton  skirt,  they  use  bright  plaids  for 
a  sack  that  can  easily  be  drawn  up  whenever  it  is 
desired  to  protect  or  conceal  the  face  or  head.  Long 
loops  of  gold  and  precious  stones  hang  pendent  from 
the  prettiest  of  ears,  and  diagonall}"  through  the  nose, 
full  as  pretty  and  symmetrical,  pierce  long  golden  orna- 
ments, often  accompanied  with  a  large  ring  of  the  same 
precious  material,  so  that  while  her  voice  falls  like  the 
ripple  of  the  wave,  or  the  soft  gush  of  a  mountain 
brook,  it  does  not  overcome  the  tempting  impulse  of 
telling  her  she  is  nearly  as  vain  as  her  white  sister  in 
the  great,  far  West.  But  it  would  have  been  hard  for 
even  us  so  to  believe,  so  we  patiently  forbore.     Boys, 


122        PLEAS  A  XT  HOURS  IX  SUXXY  LAXDS, 

as  straight  as  arrows,  were  playing  in  the  streets 
something  like  marbles  and  ball,  but  using  a  short 
stick  instead  of  the  usual  sphere. 

Wishing  to  visit  one  of  the  many  pineapple  planta- 
tions, we  were  one  day  invited  into  the  country,  and, 
while  observing  the  natives  at  work,  it  was  observed  that 
they  would  often  stop,  open  a  little  bag,  no  larger  than 
the  usual  purse,  hanging  at  the  waist,  and  take  there- 
from a  roll  of  delicate  leaves  resembling  that  of  the 
mulberry,  or  the  mulberry  just  beside  the  window  at 
home,  where  I  am  now  writing.  Separating  one  from 
the  rest,  and  taking  from  the  same  bag,  a  little  tin  or 
wooden  box  of  a  yellowish-white  powder,  which  they 
transferred  by  the  index  finger  in  small  quantities  to 
the  leaf,  they  quickly  conveyed  the  whole  into  their 
capacious  mouths.  My  host,  observing  my  curiosity, 
thereupon  opened  his  own  mouth,  and  disclosed  as 
pearly  teeth  as  ever  graced  a  woman  ;  but  what  was 
quite  as  noticeable  was  the  unnatural  redness  of  the 
gums  and  inner  membrane  of  the  entire  cavity.  With 
wide  open  mouth,  he  slowly  raised  his  right  hand  in 
the  direction  of  some  tall,  slender  and  uncommonly 
smooth  palms  in  our  vicinity,  and  smilingly  observed 
"That  he."  I  looked  again.  Large  bunches  of  bright' 
red  berry-like  nuts  clustered  under  the  leaves  forty  or 
fifty  feet  from  the  ground.  It  was  the  same  frui:  that 
had  puzzled  me  on  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and  in 
Borneo,  but  it  was  as  plain  now  as  the   daylight.     It 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  123 

was  to  them  what  tobacco  is  to  the  two-legged  animals 
of  the  cud  at  home.  It  was  the  betel  nut.  The 
Malay,  the  Dyak,  the  Javanese  and  Sumatranese,  the 
Bengalese  and  Madrasese,  I  never  met  without  it. 

The  pineapple  here  appears  to  be  longer  and  finer 
than  those  sold  in  America,  but  the  stocks  are  no 
hig;her  or  stron^rer  than  elsewhere.  As  in  the  case  of 
the  betel  nut,  I  was  thrice  otherwise  pleasantly  sur- 
prised in  this  place.  The  first  time  I  set  foot  on  shore 
we  went  on  a  long  stroll.  Long  rows  of  cocoanut 
palms,  now  and  then  a  cabbage  palm,  and  still  more 
rarely  the  magnificent  fan  palm,  shaded  oui*  way,  while 
here  and  there,  floating  in  the  high  air,  clinging  in 
some  mysterious  way,  were  large  clouds  of  purple, 
pink,  yellow,  and  white  flowers.  The  gorgeous  beauty 
of  the  flamboyant  tree,  with  its  diversity  of  color,  vied 
w^ith  the  pomella  and  jasmine,  and  all  with  the  bright 
red  soil  and  velvety  green  herbage.  From  one  of  these 
yellow  flowers  is  obtained  our  much-prized  ylang-ylang 
perfume.  Now  and  then  a  gutta-percha  tree,  a  pepper, 
a  nutmeg,  aloe,  or  cinnamon  tree,  made  its  presence 
known,  and,  on  the  whole,  the  numerous  fruits  and 
nuts  were  as  strange  as  the  slight,  girlish  forms  of  the 
people.  I  had  long  become  too  weary  for  further  up- 
looking,  when  I  espied  a  moderate-sized  tree  clothed 
in  large,  peculiarly-shaped  leaves,  something  like  that 
of  the  oak,  though  many  times  the  size.  Pendent 
from    its    branches    were    a   large  number   of   oblong, 


124       PLEAS  A  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UNNY  LANDS, 

and  a  little  rough,  green  masses  of  fruit,  which  had 
come  in  my  way  before,  but  had  been  classed  among 
the  great  unknown.  To  my  great  pleasure,  my  guide 
explained  "Much  eat."  It  was  one  of  the  most  cher- 
ished objects  of  my  voyage.  It  was  what  with  meat 
serves  for  a  rich,  mealy  potato,  what  with  bread  and 
milk  becomes  a  toothsome  pudding.  It  was  the  bread- 
fruit of  the  Pacific,  the  cereal  of  many  nations  here. 
It  was  about  the  size  of  a  child's  head,  and,  were  it 
not  for  the  strange  leaf,  it  would  with  great  difficulty 
be  distinguished  from  the  large  orange  called  the 
pomella,  which  equals  the  bread-fruit  in  size,  but  is  in 
one  variety  more  yellow  inside,  and  in  another  a  bright 
pink. 

But  let  us  to  town.  A  broad  drive  or  walk  skirts 
the  water  for  several  miles.  You  pass  two  cemeteries 
with  low  monuments  of  round  disks  placed  one  above 
the  other,  or  rectangular  slabs  inlaid  with  another  of 
lighter  and  different  material.  Chinese  joss-houses, 
Mahomedan  mosques,  and  Pagan  temples,  streets 
muddy  red,  in  which  you  must  join  the  crowd  if  you 
will  walk,  for  what  seems  like  a  narrow  sidewalk  is  but 
the  front  of  the  native  houses  and  workshops.  But 
after  being  forced  to  join  in  with  a  funeral,  a  picnic 
party,  and  a  religious  procession,  I  decided,  as  my 
only  way  to  a  less  exciting  life,  to  try  this  covered  side- 
walk, if  allowed.  It  was  less  muddy  but,  if  possible, 
more  crowded,  so  I  had  to  walk  sideways  to  make  any 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  125 

headway,  but  the  long  rows  of  pomellas,  melons,  limes, 
pineapples,  mangosteens,  lichee,  cocoanuts,  custard 
apples,  rambutan,  duku,  tapioca^  beans,  indigo,  nut- 
megs, aloes,  and  every  sort  of  trade  in  process,  made 
it  equally  valuable  and  interesting.  From  temple  to 
pagoda,  from  pagoda  to  mosque,  no  one  disturbed  my 
wanderings.  Among  the  pleasant  things  about  the 
Malay  is  the  reproduction  of  natural  objects  in  what- 
ever he  constructs  for  use  or  ornament.  On  the  walls 
of  his  temples,  one  after  another,  in  bare  outline,  rises 
the  body,  neck  and  horned  head  of  his  bellowing  steed, 
and  in  the  hands  of  the  boatman  or  canoe  man  lies  a 
palmleaf-shaped  paddle,  while  his  varied  store  of 
household  goods  and  utensils  interestingly  increase  the 
comparison. 

The  English  here  publish  two  or  three  papers,  the  Ma- 
lay and  Chinese  one  each.  There  is  a  public  library  and 
a  large  number  of  public  hotels  and  churches,  of  which 
the  Cathedral  of  St.  Andrew,  built  in  1861,  and  located 
in  large  and  well-shaded  grounds  opposite  the  park,  is 
the  neatest  and  most  attractive.  Quite  near  is  a  stone 
monument  surmounted  by  a  reddish-brown  elephant, 
containing  a  tablet  announcing  the  fact  that  it  com- 
memorates the  first  foreign  trip  of  the  King  of  Siam. 
The  Chinese  have  many  elaborate  and  even  magnifi- 
cent homes  and  grounds,  many  of  them  built  with 
marble  and  porcelain  tiles,  on  which  are  inscriptions 
of     flowers,      historical     and     pastoral     scenes,     the 


126       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

whole  serving  pretty  much  the  same  purpose  as  stone 
trimmings  or  marble  in  one  of  our  modern  brick 
edifices.  The  money-broker  I  found  everywhere, 
tramping  from  place  to  place,  from  vessel  to  vessel, 
with  a  queer  assortment  of  change  in  his  long  linen 
bag,  and  queerer  ideas  of  business  and  gain  in  his  red 
beturbaned  head.  Japanese  yens  would  slide  through 
his  fingers  at  2  rupees,  5  annas,  and  narrow  silver  bars, 
duly  stamped  with  heathen  hieroglyphics,  rolled  as 
swiftly  away  at  4  Rs,  5.  It  will  not  be  the  man's 
fault  if  he  does  not  soon  own  the  empire.  Away  he 
plies  his  nimble  paddle,  first  on  one  side,  then  on  that, 
till  his  sharp-pointed  canoe  seems  to  skim  like  a  swal- 
low over  the  wave,  while  his  humble  brother  and  the 
Chinese  cooley  get  but  1-2  anna  per  basket  for  the 
coal,  swung  on  their  shoulders  from  a  bamboo,  they 
are  hurriedly  carrying  on  board. 

For  $2.00  we  could  purchase  a  whole  dug-out  full  of 
pretty  shells  and  coral.  It  is  incredible  how  large 
some  of  these  shells  are.  Were  they  capable  of 
floating  like  wood,  the  naked  little  urchins  about  us 
would  never  have  taken  the  trouble  to  burn  out  their 
present  little  sea-crafts.  Here,  as  we  are  casting  off  to 
sail  again,  a  score  of  these  bright  little  fellows  dance 
around  in  their  light  boats,  calling  out,  "  Sahib,  Sarb, 
mister,  say.  One  penny?"  Or  sitting  patiently  in 
hopes  the  penny  may,  perchance,  come  as  a  reward  for 
good  conduct.     There  they  sit  or  rest  on  their  knees. 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  127 

their  little  bare  feet  upturned  to  the  sun's  hot  rays, 
and  as  white  as  your  own,  though  the  rest  of  their  bare 
bodies  are  like  bronze.  Let  a  penny  or  a  dime  be 
swiftly  hurled  down  to  the  sea,  and  presto  !  a  score  of 
heels  suddenly  fly  up  high  in  the  air,  leaving  a  lot  of 
little  boats  and  paddles  floating  helplessly  away  with 
the  strong  tide,  and  not  a  ripple  left  to  tell  of  the 
whereabouts  of  the  once  merry  group,  now  deep  be- 
neath the  wave.  You  become  annoyed,  anxious,  in 
fact,  and  are  about  to  feel  sad  that  you  had  encouraged 
their  perilous  sport,  when  up  pops  a  forlorn-looking 
head,  followed  by  blinking  eyes  and  sneezing  nose. 
Another,  then  another,  till  you  count,  with  a  long 
breath,  the  whole  group  together  again.  One  has 
your  penny  tight  between  his  glistening  ivories,  while 
he  tries  to  give  thanks  and  gain  his  fast  vanishing  boat 
at  the  same  time.  Up  they  climb,  and  with  one  roll 
they  are  inside  again,  and  begin  kicking  or  shoving 
their  feet  forward  to  expel  the  water,  which,  if  very 
deep,  is  hastened  by  forcing  the  whole  seated  body 
pop-gun  style,  from  end  to  end.  As  their  lithe  forms 
closely  fit  their  pigmy  boats,  it  works  like  a  charm,  but 
it  is  to  be  seriously  hoped  that  the  impinging  surface 
is  always  smooth. 

After  turning  over  to  a  Sikh  guard  a  large  quantity 
of  silver  coin,  we  stood  out  into  the  channel,  and  had 
soon  bid  adieu  to  the  joy  of  a  lifetime  in  the  fast 
retreating  shores.       Black   fish,    porpoise,    shark,   and 


128       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

cockroaches  as  large  and  abundant  as  mice,  came 
around,  as  if  to  darken  the  memory  of  my  past  bright 
experience,  till  we  reached  Malacca.  This  is  so  like 
other  Siamese  places,  we  will  not  dwell.  On  leaving 
here  we  came  to  One  Fathom  Liajht,  miles  from  shore, 
and  then  to  Wellesley,  with  its  grand  cocoanut  palms 
and  magnificent  plantations  running  down  to  the 
water's  edge,  and  noble  hills  in  the  background.  Fish 
weirs  of  bamboo,  stretching  out  to  the  very  channel, 
look  like  so  many  wrecked  Malay  boats.  With  a  boom 
from  our  guns,  we  are  at  Penang. 

An  old  fort,  Dutch  in  appearance,  lies  low  on  a  nar- 
row level  point,  near  which  is  the  signal  station.  With 
my  glass,  away  in  the  wooded  mountainous  interior, 
could  be  seen  a  shimmer  of  light  from  a  high  water- 
fall. x\s  in  holiday  attire,  in  bright  red,  yellow  and 
purple  strips  of  cloth,  dress-like  wound  about  their 
waists,  men,  women  and  children  flocked  to  our  side. 
The  Governor's  yacht  was  close  at  hand,  and  both  he 
and  his  secretary  came  into  full  view.  We  attended 
the  national  games,  mostly  athletic,  upon  the  public 
common,  and  found  several  English  and  Scotch  young 
men  joining  in  the  sport.  Quite  near  is  the  Edinbor- 
ough  House,  called  after  the  Duke,  who  was  here  a 
few  years  ago  and  occupied  it.  The  town  seems  quite 
flat,  but  is  well  shaded  and  ornamented  with  both  palm 
and  fern.     Government  schools,  both   for  natives  and 


I  A'  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  129 

foreigners,  are  here  established,  and  English,  French, 
German,  Dutch  and  Indian  vessels  fill  the  harbor. 

Wishing  to  see  the  interior  of  the  country,  which  is 
as  unbroken  and  full  of  wild  animals  as  ever,  an  officer 
and  I,  taking  ''Beauty,"  who  had  climbed  upon  the 
rail  and  was  making  day  hideous  by  fiercely  barking  at 
the  native  longshoremen  unloading  the  vessel,  hired  a 
gharrey,  a  light  cab  with  a  small  pony,  to  carry  us  as 
far  as  the  road  extended.  It  soon  began  to  rain,  a 
daily  occurrence  there,  and  the  little  animal  began 
to  suddenly  stop  now  and  then,  and,  vigorously 
shaking  his  shaggy  mane,  refuse  all  entreaties  of  his 
native  master  to  go  on.  When  he  felt  the  rain  sub- 
siding, up  popped  his  wild  little  head,  as  if  saying 
"Ready,  well  then,  just  see  me  whiz!"  he  would 
nearly  jerk  our  life  out  over  the  stony  way.  Passing 
the  neat  dwellings  of  foreign  merchants,  our  way  led 
through  groves  of  cocoanut  palms,  with  their  heavy 
bunches  of  fruit  ninety  to  one  hundred  and  twenty 
feet  high  in  some  places,  down  to  fifty  or  sixty  in 
others,  and  native  thatched  huts  interspersed  between. 
Deep  cuts,  three  feet  apart,  ran  up  the  palm's  smooth 
trunk,  for  native  toes  to  climb  in,  when  hunger  or  the 
desire  of  gain  became  sufficiently  strong  to  excite  his 
lazy  limbs  to  action. 

But  at  last  the  road  came  to  an  end,  and  telling  the 
man  to  await  our  return,  we  posted  off  into  the  forest. 
Heavily    laden    ox-carts,    coming  from   a    neighboring 


130       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

quarry,  were  the  first   to  greet  us.     Then    a   Uttle  boy 
and  girl,   with   the   innocence    of  childhood,    ran   and 
trotted    along  after   us,    despite    the    curling    lip    and 
marked  sarcastic  smile  on    the  broad  face  of  our  quad- 
ruped guard.     It   made  me    tremble   lest  they  should 
take  it  into  their  little  heads  to  run  along  in  advance, 
for,  in  the  absence  of  all  clothing,  and  the  presence  of 
a  wicked  idea  in  "  Beauty's  "   busy  mind,  a  serious  dis- 
figurement, if  not  dismemberment,  would  surely  follow. 
A  few  pennies,  surreptitiously  thrown  into  their  midst, 
had  the  desired  effect  of  turning  their  curiosity   to  a 
safer  channel  and  putting  a  stop  to  their  advance.  After 
a  long  tramp  under  our  umbrellas,  we  reached  a  grad- 
ually ascending  slope,   containing  nearly  all  the  rare 
shrubs   and   trees  of  tropical   growth.      The  rain  tree 
which  showers  from  its  overhanging  branches  a  grateful 
fall  of  rain,  the  traveller   tree   with  its   mighty  fan-like 
leaves  radiating  from  a  common  centre,  and  containing 
a  quart  of  precious  liquid   for  the   thirsty  traveller,  the 
ban  van,  the   areca  or  betel   nut  from  which  the  name 
Penang  arises,  pepper,  nutmeg  and   many  other  inter- 
esting trees  grew  side  by  side.     The  sensitive  plant, 
with    its   little  fuzzy   pink  blossom,  crept  everywhere 
under    foot,    and    the    maiden-hair  fern    cropped    out 
everywhere.      While   resting   after  the  shower,  before 
undertaking  an  ascent  of  from  2,500  to  3,000  feet,  I  put 
my  hand  upon  a  small  tree  at  my  side  for  support.     It 
v/as  withdrawn  most  quickly,  for  I  felt  a  host  of  many- 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  131 

legged  insects  at  work  on  my  arm.  Freeing  myself,  a 
large  nest  of  ants  was  discovered  perched  high  among 
its  branches.  We  had  become  accustomed  to  high- 
peaked  ant  hills  on  the  ground,  but  were  unprepared 
to  find  that  all  about  us  they  had  preempted  the  tree 
tops. 

On  setting  out  again,  we  observed  "  Beauty  "  suddenly 
prick  up  his  cropped  ears  and  wag  his  apology  for  a  tail. 
His  bow  legs  stamped  the  ground  with  amusing  ear- 
nestness. We  had  come  to  a  deep  ravine  sheltered  by 
tall  trees  and  luxuriant  undergrowth,  from  which  the 
dash  and  splash  of  water  could  be  plainly  heard. 
Neither  the  officer  or  myself  had  been  on  this  mountain 
before,  and  were  equally  at  loss  to  understand  the 
sudden  activity  of  our  usually  taciturn  companion.  We 
continued  toiling  up  the  steep  slope,  when,  so  suddenly 
as  to  make  my  heart  leap,  with  a  yelp,  and  a  bound  that 
sent  the  gravel  flying  like  hot  canister  into  our  very 
faces,  the  bull-dog  tore  along  up  the  mountain  like 
mad.  He  had  smelt  game,  that  was  sure.  Then  came 
a  heavy  fusilade  from  above,  followed  by  a  half-angry 
and  half-frightened  squeaking,  that  forced  us  both  to 
laugh  outright.  This,  then,  was  the  free  realm  of 
harmless  Jocko.  We  had  heard,  some  little  while 
before,  of  the  presence  of  a  tiger  prowling  in  the 
neighborhood,  and  knowing  the  spirit  of  the  dog,  it 
had  at  first  flashed  across  my  mind  that  ''  Beauty ''  had 
made   for   him    single-handed  and    alone.      The  cries 


132       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

grew  louder  and  more  frequent,  as  we  hurried  on. 
High  branches  and  tree  tops  were  swaying  up  and 
down  as  the  nimble  monkeys  swung  away  from  reach 
of  harm,  and  slowly  crawled  along  the  larger  limbs  the 
scowling  ape.  Some,  more  bold  than  the  rest,  re- 
mained quiet  behind  a  friendly  bush  or  limb,  and  cun- 
ningly winked  at  us  as  we  passed.  The  dog  had  stopped 
at  the  foot  of  a  large  tree  and  stood  upright  on  his 
hind  feet,  baffled  and  disappointed.  Not  far  in  advance 
sat  a  large  white  baboon,  the  largest  and  the  only 
Avhite  one  I  ever  saw.  Although  a  foe,  it  seemed 
as  oblivious  of  the  nearness  of  the  dog,  as  "  Beauty  " 
seemed  of  him.  We  stood  still,  in  fear  that  we  should 
precipitate  a  rout,  if  not  an  engagement,  but  it  was 
useless.  On  dropping  on  all-fours  again,  the  broad- 
faced  pup  quickly  espied  his  game,  and,  with  bound 
and  growl,  descended  upon  it  like  a  thunderbolt.  He 
was  too  late,  however.  When  he  reached  the  ravine, 
the  ape  had  slowly  but  surely  swung  out  over  and 
across,  and  being  able  neither  to  stop  or  leap  the 
chasm  —  and  if  he  ever  had  a  choice,  it  was  not  like  a 
bull-dog  not  to  firmly  seize  and  hold  on  to  it  —  heels 
over  head  plunged  the  canine  into  the  seething  water 
below. 

Actuated  by  kind  feelings  towards  the  brute,  and 
not  a  little  regard  for  our  own  welfare,  for  if  it  were 
discovered  that  we  were  responsible  for  his  carcass 
running  into  the  water  pipe  of  the   settlement  a  few 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  133 

hundred  feet  below,  and  thus  depriving  the  warm  and 
thirsty  people  of  their  only  water  supply  for  weeks, 
perhaps,  and  if  his  body  became  swollen,  as  it  certainly 
would  be,  for  months  probably,  we  hastily  made  for 
the  brink  and  looked  down.  It  was  an  awful  fall,  my 
patient  reader,  but  was  it  not  an  awful  brute  that  had 
it  ?  There,  quietly  seated  on  a  large  flat  stone,  his 
coat  dripping  wet,  and  a  determined  expression  upon 
his  not  over-lovely  countenance,  was  the  object  of  our 
solicitude,  looking  straight  up  into  our  faces.  Whether 
he  was  saying,  "Did  you  kick  me,  sir.'"  or,  "I'll  fix 
you  for  this  !  "  or  not,  we  somehow  regarded  the  look  as 
ominous,  and  easing  our  consciences  with  the  thought 
that  his  ingenuity  was  equal  to  an  escape,  and  a  shrill 
whistle,  we  departed.  Near  was  a  Malay  joss-house, 
where  we  found  a  young  man  and  maiden  passing 
through  a  ceremony  we  understood  was  that  of  mar- 
riage. A  large  round  rock,  with  a  fiat  surface,  had  a 
fire  thereon,  and  by  its  side  some  flowers  and  cakes, 
while  a  pair  of  gigantic  brogans  rested  at  its  base. 
We  were  offered  some  cakes  and  fruit,  and  they  went 
on  their  way  rejoicing,  while  we  still  kept  on  until  the 
old  fort  below,  built  in  1790,  seemed  a  mere  figure  in 
the  sand,  and  the  large  ocean  steamers  upon  the  water 
like  toys.  We  had  penetrated  the  wilds  for  miles,  and 
ascended  2,800  feet  or  more  on  the  mountains,  so 
felt  we  had  experienced  enough  to  return.  Not  to 
speak  of  our  frights  and  accidents,  suffice  it  to  say  that 


134      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

we  reached  the  steamer  in  time  to  see  the  Klings  en- 
gaged in  holiday  games,  and  to  hear  that  they  could 
not  be  hired  to  work  unloading  the  tea-oil,  betel  nut, 
and  other  cargo,  until  the  holiday  was  over,  as  it  is 
their  only  Sabbath  or  day  of  rest. 

The  native  boats  are  borne  along  by  paddles  and 
oars,  the  latter  of  which  are  shaped  like  a  round  leaf 
tied  to  a  long  pole.  The  row-boats  have  painted,  each 
side  of  their  prow,  large  white  or  blue  eyes  made  to 
resemble  a  fish.  On  each  side  of  the  Straits  are  miles 
of  cocoanut-bearing  palms,  and  large  steamers  are  seen 
at  anchor  surrounded  by  native  boats  piled  high  with 
the  nuts,  which  are  constantly  tossing  from  one  to 
another  till  they  reach  the  vessel's  hold.  The  last  of 
our  pickled  olives  and  Japanese  apples  were  put  on 
shore,  and  Governor-General  Weld  bid  us  adieu.  We 
are  told  that  his  salary  is  $30,000  a  year.  He  is  to  be 
succeeded  by  Smith  of  Ceylon.  He  has  a  pretty  cor- 
vette, which  carries  several  guns,  close  by.  Our  last 
thing  was  to  take  on  some  ice,  which  we  got  for  $40 
per  ton.  Pimento,  allspice  and  the  clove  linger  in  my 
memory  as  I  think  of  this,  another  fairy  land,  spices 
mingling  with  the  mist  of  the  250  feet  of  mountain 
cataract  far  from  the  abode  of  man. 

Glad  to  rid  ourselves  of  the  Chinese,  who  had 
reached  the  scenes  of  their  next  year's  life,  we  were 
soon  under  way  for  Burmah,  and  then  Calcutta,  about 
1,350  miles   to  the  northwest.     A  shower   followed  us 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  135 

out  into  the  Indian  Ocean,  and  left  us  with  a  triple 
rainbow,  impossible  of  description,  so  interwoven  it 
became  with  the  magnificent  sylvan  view  of  the  Lower 
Siam  coast.  This  was  followed,  in  two  days,  by  a  hur- 
ricane, when  we  came  to  the  Nicobar  Islands.  Here 
flint  is  still  in  use  for  axes  and  knives,  and  everything 
primitive.  Here  we  met  the  Indo-China  Steamship 
"  Wing  Sing."  I  now  had  a  grand  chance  to  study 
Indian  life  and  human  nature,  for  with  the  Chinese,  all 
noise  and  confusion  had  ceased.  A  fair  white-lady,  with 
a  little  girl  with  long,  bright  ringlets,  often  joined  me  in 
conversation.  They  were  queerly  dressed  and  wore 
their  hair  parted  low  on  the  side. 

There  was  a  sickly  white  from  Northwestern  Hin- 
dostan,  accompanied  by  a  Malay  wife  of  unusual 
beauty  and  timidity,  and  a  little  six-year-old  boy, 
always  in  nature's  own  scant  robes.  A  little  gold  ring 
in  his  left  ear,  and  a  charm  of  some  sort  on  his  left 
arm  above  his  elbow,  was  his  fullest  dress,  even  to 
visitors,  but  never  was  a  merrier  child  at  sea  or  one  on 
■v^hich  a  mother  gazed  more  fondly.  The  father,  seated 
on  the  deck  with  four  or  five  companions  in  a  circle, 
around  a  long,  artistic  pipe,  half  wood,  half  metal,  with 
a  long  stem,  which  was  passed  from  one  to  the  other 
for  a  single  whiff,  seemed  equally  happy.  This  custom 
is  common  in  India  and  Turkey.  Several  Siamese, 
with  flower  and  vine-figured  dress  and  turban,  are 
going  to  Calcutta   to  dispose  of  their  pouches  of  pre- 


136       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

cious  stones.  Bright  purples,  blues,  yellows,  and  red 
plaids  flutter  hither  and  thither  as.  the  men  and  women, 
so  much  alike  in  dress  as  to  be  almost  indistinguishable 
unless  you  look  up  into  their  faces,  flit  nimbly  by. 
Two  Sikhs  from  Northwestern  India  are  ofoins:  home 
on  a  furlough,  seven  feet  tall  and  with  a  form  like 
Apollo.  These  are  the  famous  Sepoys  of  the  native 
Eno^lish  armv. 

One  day  we  stopped  to  take  two  elephants,  worth 
about  $4,000,  aboard.  They  were  brought  out  in  large 
native  boats,  but  when  alongside,  the  captain  was  at  a 
loss  how  to  load  them,  \^'e  rode  high,  and  there  was 
no  way  for  the  unwieldly  animals  to  crawl  into  the 
port-holes.  It  seemed  a  dangerous  as  well  as  difficult 
undertaking.  At  first,  the  captain  refused  to  under- 
take the  loading,  but,  as  the  keeper  was  willing  to  save 
the  company  harmless  from  the  result  should  it  prove 
disastrous,  he  finally  consented,  first  obtaining  a  writ- 
ing from  the  owner  to  that  effect.  Bands  of  strong 
material  were  wound  around  the  huge  body  of  one  of 
the  animals,  ropes  attached,  run  through  strong  tackle", 
and  the  word  given  for  the  engine  to  start  slowly. 
Just  as  soon  as  it  cleared  the  native  boat,  it  began  to 
struggle  and  snort,  and  had  to  be  lowered.  Again  the 
attempt  was  made,  with  like  result.  It  was  painfully 
evident  that  if  the  attempt  were  to  be  persisted  in, 
some  calamity  would  surely  happen,  if  not  to  beast, 
to  natives  flocking  around.     A  bullock  can  easily  be 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  137 

hoisted  by  the  horns,  the  powerful  Roman  horse  in  an 
iron-bound  car,  but  the  elephant  is  usually  made  to 
either  walk  or  crawl  in.  Yet  the  owner  insisted  it 
could  be  done.  Other  bands  were  made,  and  with 
determined  faces  the  signal  to  start  was  again  given. 
As  before,  the  powerful  brute  began  to  struggle,  but 
less  and  less  as  it  rose  in  the  air,  until  not  at  all  on 
the  quick  descent.  The  keeper  and  his  attendants 
stood  quietly  by  until  the  unfortunate  creature  came 
to  the  deck  and  with  a  few  feeble  struggles  and  gasps 
gave  up  its  life,  then  throwing  up  their  arms  in  fright- 
ful grief  and  rage,  they  loudly  cursed  us  all, 

Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  other  animal  went  back  to 
shore,  and  the  poor,  helpless  carcass  of  his  unfortu- 
nate companion  went  over  the  vessel's  side,  and  we 
went  sadly  on.  We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  nearly 
ran  into  another  waterspout,  but  we  escaped  the  deluge 
only  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  a  full-grown  cyclone, 
which  sent  us  to  Rangoon  for  safety.  Burmah  is  very 
level  here,  with  greyish  soil,  except  in  places,  where  it 
is  more  hilly,  then  it  is  red.  Nothing  in  this  attractive 
city,  or  in  the  whole  country,  in  fact,  interested  me  so 
much  as  the  activity  of  its  women,  who,  as  in  some 
French  cities,  seemed  to  possess  all  the  intelligence, 
courtesy  and  brain  of  the  place.  Meeting  several 
officers  of  the  English  army  stationed  there,  my  time 
was  most  profitably  spent,  but  was  soon  on  my  way  to 
Calcutta,  the  "  City  of  Palaces,"  as  it  is  there  called. 


138       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

The  Burmese,  Siamese,  and  Anamese,  as  far  as  my 
observation  has  gone,  bear  a  resemblance  to  a  mixed 
Chinese  and  Malay  stock,  and  all  dress  in  the  brightest 
of  reds,  yellows,  purples,  and  blues,  in  styles  of  vine 
tracery,  flov*'ers,  and  object  design  that  would  set  an 
American  girl  wild.  All  wear  a  scant  half  dress,  if 
anything  at  all,  and  if  there  is  such  a  thing  as  trousers 
they  must  be  a  very  abridged  edition,  and  known  only 
to  a  small  part  of  the  female  class.  They  sleep,  like 
their  Northern  near  neighbors,  on  straw  and  reed 
mats,  with  a  block  of  wood,  sometimes  constructed 
with  a  groove,  for  a  pillow.  Sometimes  this  pillow  is 
made  of  leather  and  ornamented,  and  mats  are  found 
of  quilted  cloth,  and  in  China,  in  addition  to  these, 
sleeping  bags,  or  brightly-colored  sacks,  were  seen. 

John  and  his  companions  may  be  seen  at  all  hours 
of  the  day  reclining  on  his  floor  mat,  with  a  tea  urn, 
several  tiny  teacups,  and  some  sort  of  cake  or  eatable 
on  the  floor  by  his  side.  Their  language  or  tone  is 
more  uniform  than  that  of  Chinamen.  The  latter  are 
amusingly  peculiar  in  tone  and  inflection,  and  you  must 
keep  out  of  sight,  as  from  a  frog  pond  when  curiosity 
or  amusement  leads  one  to  draw  near,  if  you  wish  to 
listen  to  a  genuine  colloquy,  and  to  which,  in  fact,  it 
bears  closer  resemblance  than  anything  else  I  can 
imagine.  It  certainly  is  a  satisfactory  illustration  of 
their  dialectic  voicing. 

Their  musical  instruments,  and  tones  as  well,  so  far 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  139 

exceed  the  wildest  imagination,  one  must  see  and  hear 
— and  go  mad — to  form  the  faintest  idea.  The  first 
Japanese  music  I  Ustened  to  was  on  the  streets  of 
Tokio,  and  was  well  rendered  by  one  male  and  one 
female  voice,  accompanied  with  two  instruments  similar 
to  the  guitar.  The  first  Chinese  effort  in  that  line  and 
in  their  native  land,  was  from  a  group — call  it  orches- 
tra if  you  will — consisting  of  two  men,  each  with  some- 
thing like  a  long,  crook-necked  squash  made  of  wood, 
with  two  strings  running  from  top  to  bottom,  and 
within  a  light  frame,  which  we  will,  for  want  of  a  name, 
call  a  bow ;  another  man  with  a  large,  round  disk  of 
prepared  skin  fastened  to  a  wooden  frame,  which,  seen 
elsewhere,  would  have  been  nameless — call  it  a  banjo 
— and  still  another  John  with  a  tripod,  bearing  on  its 
top  a  helmet-like  metallic  cone,  with  a  protuberant, 
hollow  wooden  box.  The  only  other  participant  was 
a  celestial  maiden  of  17  years  or  so.  When  the  music 
began,  it  was  at  a  signal  from  the  man  at  the  metallic 
cone,  who  commenced  tapping  first  the  metal  then  the 
wooden  box  with  a  pair  of  sticks  held  between  his 
fingers.  Miss  John  thereupon  jumped  to  her  feet, 
with  her  chin  prominently  elevated.  Another  tap,  and 
all  went  in  for  all  they  were  worth.  String  rasped  and 
screeched  in  highest  key  and  most  discordant  tones, 
banjo  triimmed  and  dummed,  as  only  a  loose  drum- 
head can.  The  tripod  gave  alternate  sounds  of  uncer- 
tain click  and  dub,  and  amid  the  wild  din  and  jargon. 


1 40       PLEA  SA  NT  HO  L  ^RS  IN  S  UN  NY  LANDS, 

rose  the  female  voice  in  high,  discordant  yelps.  Noth- 
ing in  my  after  experience  even  approximated  to  its 
weird  effect,  unless,  perhaps,  the  midnight  cry  of  the 
India  jackals. 

"If  music  is  the  food  of  love,  play  on  ! " 

We  were  surprised  early  one  morning  by  low-lying 
islands  hundreds  of  miles  out,  one  of  which  possessed 
a  lighthouse.  From  the  chart  w'e  found  them  the 
Andaman  group.  A  steamer  with  government  supplies 
was  winding  its  devious  way,  and  seemed  the  only  sign 
of  human  life,  yet  palms,  here  and  there,  nodded  their 
shaggy  heads,  and  we  were  told  they  were  covered 
with  valuable  timber  and  dye-woods.  It  had  surprised 
me,  when  in  Anam  and  southern  China,  to  find  the 
country  so  destitute  of  the  magnificent  forests  found  in 
the  same  latitude  in  Central  and  South  America,  but 
altitude  and  climatic  differences  probably  are  respon- 
sible for  this. 

Away  south,  above  the  Indian  Ocean,  the  sun,  inter- 
rupting, is  building  a  massive  arch  of  color,  while,  as 
from  the  dark  storm-clouds,  a  wild  sea  fowl  flutters 
down  upon  an  isolated  davit  directly  before  our  e3'es. 
In  my  pleasure,  I  pointed  it  out  to  a  Philippine 
Islander,  who  was  one  of  the  quartermasters.  He  ran 
quickly  from  the  bridge  where  we  were  seated,  to  the 
bows,  and  silently  creeping  beneath  the  unconscious 
bird,  with  a  quick  and  high  bound,  grasped  it  by  the 


I.V  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  141 

leg.  It  seemed  cruel  to  take  advantage  of  even  an 
animal  while  seeking  protection,  but  without  a  second 
thought,  he  had  quickly  returned,  wringing  its  neck  on 
the  way,  and  presented  the  lifeless  body  at  our  feet. 
The  constant  warfare  between  man  and  the  dangerous 
wild  beasts  here  in  Borneo,  Sumatra,  Java,  and  the 
Malay  Peninsula  tends  to  keep  the  natives  unmerciful 
toward  all  wild  creatures.  The  ape,  ourang-outang, 
a  species  of  wild  elephant,  panther,  tiger,  and  rhinoc- 
eros infest  all  these  countries,  the  only  difference 
between  the  latter  being  two  horns  upon  the  Sumatran 
instead  of  the  usual  one. 

For  some  days,  while  crossing  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  we 
were  constantly  uplifted  by  an  irresistible  southern 
swell,  indicating  cyclones  far  south  in  the  Indian 
Ocean.  Twice  a  day  the  heavens  were  adorned  with 
the  brightest  rainbows,  and  the  broad,  golden  path  of 
the  rising  sun  was  hardly  less  beautiful  than  the  silver 
pathway  of  the  full  evening  moon.  It  was  now  that  I 
applied  myself  more  diligently  to  the  study  of  the 
Hindostanee,  so  that  I  might  not  be  entirely  dependent 
in  mid-India.  Spanish  had  been  my  aid  in  the  coun- 
tries and  islands  south  of  the  United  States,  and 
French,  English,  and  pigeon  Japanese  and  Chinese,  to 
the  present,  but  in  the  immense  country  I  was  ap- 
proaching, if  I  journeyed  far  inland,  it  seemed  neces- 
sary for  me  to  master  a  little  of  the  language.  After 
the  study  of  Hebrew  and   Sanscrit,  such   a  language 


142       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

comes  pleasantly,  and  the  peculiar  position  of  the  qual- 
ifying words,  alone,  seemed  unusual  or  strange. 

At  4  A.  M.  of  the  day  of  our  arrival,  we  were  met 
by  a  fine,  trim-looking  brig,  containing  Mr.  Lindquist, 
our  pilot,  and  soon  saw  the  low  coast  of  Hindostan, 
hardly  distinguished  from  the  sea.  Two  hours  after, 
we  were  off  the  first  lighthouse,  on  our  starboard, 
where  we  put  up  our  signals  to  announce  our  arrival, 
which  information  was  immediately  sent  miles  up  the 
river  to  Calcutta.  When  up  a  short  distance,  we  passed 
the  SS.  Port  Jackson,  from  Melbourne,  with  her  two 
decks  crowded  with  horses.  We  then  signalled  again 
to  what  seemed  an  old  castle,  but  what  really  was  a 
government  station  and  magazine.  We  were  then  near 
the  southern  shore,  which  for  miles  inland  lay  fiat  and 
nearly  on  a  level  with  the  river.  It  is  dangerous  to 
life,  and  seas  have  often  swept  across  this  plain,  carry- 
ing everything  living  and  movable,  even  to  the  strong, 
granite  signal  stations,  helplessly  before  it.  As  I  write, 
it  is  as  green  and  fertile  in  rice  fields  as  Japan,  being 
all  alluvial  soil  brought  down  by  the  river  from  the 
heights  miles  above.  These  immense  flats  constitute, 
with  those  on  our  starboard,  the  delta  of  the  Ganges, 
the  sacred  river  of  the  Hindoo.  It  is  a  pity  the  river 
is  no  cleaner,  for  a  religious  stream  should  be  pure, 
if  nothing  else,  but  here  on  my  right  is  a  poor,  little, 
white  cow  floating  out  to  sea,  its  poor,  swollen  body 
begging  for  burial.     The  Hindoo  kills  no  cow  or  bul- 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.         U3 

lock,  nor  buries  them.  He  does  not  always  bury  his 
family  or  relatives,  but  often  packs  them  off  in  a  field 
or  on  a  high  scaffold,  as  they  do  in  Borneo. 

Following  after  the  cow  is  an  object  so  human 
that  you  will  believe  the  stories  of  the  early  English 
settlers  in  this  country,  who  had  to  use  and  often 
drink  this  dirty  water,  and  who  often  pulled  up 
in  their  buckets  all  that  is  mortal  of  a  dark-skinned 
infant.  It  is  fast  going  out  of  practice,  however, 
for  the  English  magistrate  before  Lord  Ripon's 
day,  set  his  foot  down  w^ith  an  emphasis  the  native 
dared  not  misunderstand.  Lord  Ripon's  memory  is 
more  grateful  to  the  native  than  to  the  English  here, 
for  he  made  the  innovation  of  having  native  cases 
brought  before  native  magistrates,  a  policy  which  can 
w^ork  no  harm  and  a  great  deal  of  good,  as  long  as 
honorable  men  fill  those  positions.  Along  the  banks 
are  tall  weeds  and  feather  grass  waving  in  the  breeze, 
and,  now  and  then,  clumps  of  something  that  resem- 
ble the  willow-tree  diversify  the  low  inland  view. 
Soon  native  huts,  with  long,  canoe-shaped  roofs, 
covered  with  seed  and  grass  thatch,  appear  near 
the  shore.  Hundreds  of  long-horned  cattle  are  peace- 
fully feeding  in  fields  dotted  here  and  there  with  high 
stacks  of  rice,  straw  and  hay.  In  fact,  going  up  upon 
the  tide,  is  something  so  like  one  of  these  stacks,  that 
it  is  not  until  you  get  opposite  and  see  a  long,  dark 
form  perched   on  its  top  and  grasping  a  long  steering 


144       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

oar,  that  you  perceiv^e  that  it  is  controlled  by  a  boat 
beneath.  A  British-India  steamship,  followed  by  one 
of  the  Austrian  Lloyds,  was  then  passed,  and  we  began 
to  see  more  of  the  vast  agricultural  system  of  the 
country.  Solid  monuments  marked  the  irrigation  com- 
pany's boundaries,  and  cotton,  oil  and  indigo  began  to 
appear  in  vast  quantities. 

Leaving  the  mail  at  Diamond  Harbor,  30  miles 
below^  Calcutta,  with  which  it  is  now  connected  by 
rail,  we  passed  on  once  more  up  the  stream's  tortuous 
channel.  Daily  bulletins  are  required  from  and  to 
every  pilot  navigating  a  vessel  through,  as  quicksands 
and  changing  bottom  constantly  threaten  the  navi- 
gator w^ith  destruction.  At  the  James  and  Mary,  we 
passed  a  British-India  steamship,  with  nothing  but  the 
top  of  her  masts  visible,  having  gone  down  by  running 
into  quicksand  that  was  supposed  to  be  far  above. 
Quite  near  is  a  Hindoo  village,  consisting  of  the  long, 
haystack-looking  huts,  with  low  doorways,  hardly  any 
windows  and  no  chimneys.  Conspicuous  in  its  midst, 
however,  is  a  much  higher  edifice,  with  large  dome  and 
several  spires,  apparently  of  stone  construction.  This 
is  the  first  Hindoo  temple  on  native  soil,  brought  to 
my  notice.  It  is  quite  at  the  river's  edge,  with  a  grand 
expanse  of  green  rice  fields  extending  miles  into  the 
interior.  As  I  look  at  the  people  and  then  at  the 
sunken  steamship,  with  its  undisturbed  cargo,  it  is 
with  wonder  that   they  do  not  all   turn   wreckers,   but 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.         145 

superstition  here  has  often  greater  protective  influence 
than  force  of  arms,  even.  It  is  strengthened,  in  this 
case,  perhaps,  by  the  fact  that  a  companion  boat  of  this 
line,  a  short  time  before,  was  caught  near  the  mouth 
of  the  river  in  a  cyclone  and  went  down  with  a  loss  of 
750  lives. 

Directly  in  front  of  us,  is  a  small  steamer,  with  a 
broad,  double-decked  flat  boat  on  each  side.  They 
are  full  of  merchandise  from  these  rich  fields,  but  like 
a  trio  on  our  city  sidewalks,  if  you  wish  very  much  to 
hasten,  the  slimness  of  the  man  or  the  breadth  of  his 
two  female  companions  hardly  afford  the  necessary 
patience  for  a  stoppage  in  transitu.  Reeds,  feather- 
grass, cotton  and  sugar-cane,  gracefully  waving  to  and 
frOj  are  now  becoming  more  abundant.  Native  dinghys, 
like  a  lance-shaped  leaf  folded  longitudinally,  shoot  up 
the  turbid  stream,  while  to  the  right,  with  joy  the  stars 
and  stripes  of  the  "  El  Capitan,"  the  "  Granger,"  of 
Boston,  and  three  other  vessels,  moored  off  a  cotton 
factory,  are  discovered.  If  memory  serves  me,  these 
were  the  first  vessels  under  our  flag  met  between  Hong 
Kong  and  Hindostan,  but  it  was  sufficient  for  the  pilot 
to  remark,  "  The  finest  sailing-ships  in  our  waters  used 
to  hail  from  the  United  States,  but  times  have  greatly 
changed  since  I  came  here,  40  years  ago."  They 
were  noble  looking  boats,  as  few  as  they  were,  so  the 
point  of  his  statement  was  somewhat  blunted.  As  I 
write,  the   "  Farragut,"  of  Boston,  one  of  the   largest 


146       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS. 

sailing  vessels  in  the  Boston  and  Calcutta  trade,  has 
been  so  long  on  her  return  voyage  as  to  excite  great 
fears  of  her  safety.  She  has  probably  met  the  cyclone 
of  the  Indian  Ocean,  so  fatal  to  shipping.  On  the 
Southern  bank,  we  now  came  to  large  pyramidal 
mounds  of  brick,  which  were  awaiting  shipment,  indi- 
cating an  industry  of  large  proportions.  P'or  miles 
they  were  constantly  in  sight.  Soon  substantial  resi- 
dences came  in  view,  the  tops  of  the  Botanical  Garden 
on  the  left  and  the  Zoological  Garden  on  the  right. 
Next,  a  native  with  a  long  wand,  from  one  of  several 
neighboring  roofs,  aroused  countless  pigeons  to  the 
great  annoyance  of  a  large  bear  nervously  walking  his 
cage  in  a  corner  of  the  grounds,  and  several  other  ani- 
mals scattered  along  the  bank.  A  high,  open-work 
fence  surrounded  this  group  of  attractive  residences, 
which  appeared  to  be  Government  buildings. 

Here  is  kept  the  King  of  Oudh,  whose  realm  was  on 
the  Ganges,  just  northeast  of  Benares,  which  included 
historic  Lucknow,  and  contained  more  rural  population 
than  any  other  proportionate  part  of  the  world.  An 
annuity  of  12  lakhs  of  rupees  was,  some  thirty  years 
ago,  settled  upon  him  for  the  loss  of  his  province,  but 
as  he  refused  to  sign  desired  papers,  he  was  brought 
down  to  this  remote  spot,  where  he  is  supposed,  for 
want  of  other  employment,  to  rule  over  his  hundred  or 
more  wives.  A  hard  task,  no  doubt,  but  probably 
much  needed.     Needless   to   state,  that  with  him   ex- 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  147 

pires  the  title,  and  all  government  aid  to  his  household. 
Wajid  Ali  Shah  is  no  lonf:;er  a  young  man.  In  a  very 
few  years  he  will  be  gathered  to  his  fathers. 

As  on  we  slowly  passed,  we  saw  the  ship  "  W.  H. 
Lincoln,'"  of  Boston,  lying  at  her  moorings,  and  Fort 
William,  with  its  line  green  lawn,  just  beyond.  Next 
in  view  came  the  large  Court  House  and  ]\Iunicipal 
Building,  and  the  Maidan  and  Dalhousie  Park  with 
its  drives,  walks,  bath  and  statues.  Suddenly  a  bird 
settles  down  upon  the  rigging.  Another  and  another 
follows,  until  their  presence  and  occasional  "caw"  are 
annoying.  The  sky  seemed  thick  with  them,  and  as 
one  boldly  walked  up  and  nodded  to  me  from  the  rail, 
on  inspection  I  found  him  very  similar  but  less  black 
than  our  crow,  and  with  a  light-brown  ring  about  his 
neck.  But  like  the  buzzards  of  America,  how  can  they 
tolerate  them !  In  the  interior,  you  will,  with  alarm, 
suddenly  come  across  a  long-legged,  large-bodied  and 
big-mouthed  creature  which  you  may  surprise,  seated 
with  his  pipe-stem  legs  stuck  grotesquely  out  before 
him  ;  or  which  may  meet  you,  if  you  are  small  and 
timid,  with  his  long  bill  wide  open,  as  if  just  eager  for 
business.  This  is  the  adjutant  or  gigantic  crane,  like 
the  raven,  sacred  here,  and  which,  with  the  midnight 
jackal,  feed  on  carrion  and  do  good  service  as  scaven- 
gers of  the  streets  and  streams. 

But  here  we  are  at  last,  within  thirty  feet  from  the 
ghaut  or  landing,  moored  to  two  immense  iron  buoys 


14:8       PLEASAMT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

by  chain  cables.  If  we  go  ashore  we  must  signal  and 
hire  some  of  the  many  native  boats,  which  by  the  hun- 
dreds line  the  shore.  It  is  done,  and  one  with  a  high 
awning  is  quickly  alongside.  You  must  be  careful,  or 
a  misstep  will  cost  you  your  life,  for  the  undertow  is  so 
strong  that  expert  natives  often  lose  their  lives  here,  in 
full  view  of  hundreds.  Once  on  the  paved  bank,  I 
turned  to  the  Hindoo  and  gave  him  a  silver  rupee, 
whereupon  he  carefully  counted  out  and  handed  back 
a  full  rupee  in  change.  This  left  me  as  much  in  doubt 
as  before  as  to  what  fee  he  should  receive,  so  I  gave 
him  some  annas  and  left  him  perfectly  satisfied,  a  thing 
that  rarely  happens  in  England  or  America.  Another 
thing  I  noticed,  a  few  minutes  later,  while  passing  along 
the  crowded  streets,  that  the  native  touched  his  cap  or 
turban  and  courteously  stepped  aside  for  me  to  pass. 

Tall  men,  whose  swarthy  bodies  w^ere  bare  of  cloth- 
ing, except  a  yard  of  striped  cotton  cloth  gathered 
around  the  waist  and  reaching  to  the  knees,  with  large 
goat-skin  bottles  strapped  to  their  backs,  trotted  along 
whisking  before  them  the  cooling  spray  alike  on  parched 
earth  and  thirsty  man.  It  was  nearly  evening,  and  the 
Maidan  was  fast  filling  with  English  and  European 
turnouts.  It  was  not  long  before  it  became  a  veritable 
Hyde  Park,  where  all  London  delights  to  take  an  airing. 
Many  a  time  I  have  sat  on  the  iron  chairs  at  Hyde 
Park  Corner,  and  watched  both  horsemen  and  equi- 
page, the  Princess  of  Wales  and  family,  and  others  of 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  149 

like  note,  but  the  scene  cannot  begin  to  compare  with 
the  Maidan,  with  the  soft,  fleecy  softness  of  the  eastern 
dress,  and  the  rich  reds,  purples,  and  blues,  of  the 
native  costume.  In  fact,  the  symmetry  of  form  and 
loveliness  of  feature  among  the  women  and  children, 
and  often  men,  of  India  are  remarkable.  How  much 
this  has  to  do  with  the  practice  of  keeping  the  wife  in 
seclusion  at  home,  or  in  hot,  stuffy  palanquins  when 
traveling,  is  problematical.  But  as  this  is  generally 
confined  to  the  upper  classes  and  caste,  and,  in  fact, 
is  slowly  going  out  of  practice  even  among  them,  there 
is  no  great  obstacle  to  a  general  study  of  them  all. 

This  general  seclusion  of  the  women  has,  of  late, 
given  rise  to  many  interesting  social  and  moral  ques- 
tions. The  European  and  American  female  physician, 
clergyman,  and  missionary,  with  the  idea  that  medical 
science  and  the  Christian  religion  would  add  to  the 
welfare  and  happiness  of  this  apparently  isolated  sex, 
have  zealously  worked  against  this  strong  caste  cus- 
tom until,  in  some  instances,  they  have  gained  way  to 
their  presence. 

Closely  connected  with  this  seclusion  is  the  custom 
of  infant  marriage.  From  the  time  of  Manu,  some 
three  thousand  years  ago,  it  has  been  the  custom,  as  a 
part  of  the  Zenana  system,  to  early  choose  a  child-wife 
for  each  male  youth.  Neither  can  then  realize  either 
the  duties  or  responsibilities  of  their  true  relations, 
and  are  kept  apart  for  years,  and  constantly  taught, 


150       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

meanwhile,  to  love  each  other,  pretty  much  as  we 
encourage  our  children  to  treat  each  other  kindly. 
To  this  is  added  the  idea  of  mutual  duty.  Thus,  it 
would  seem  the  sense  of  duty  would  be  more  active 
than  the  emotion  of  love  in  finally  drawing  the  pair 
together.  Yet,  there  is  an  inner  beauty  to  this  system 
of  marital  teaching.  It  leads  the  infant  mind  and 
heart  to  love,  honor,  obey,  and  perform  all  those  little 
acts  and  offices  that,  when  sincerely  and  gently  done, 
make  man's  life  and  the  lives  of  his  children  attractive 
and  lovely.  Thus,  when  the  awakening  to  a  realiza- 
tion of  their  true  relation  dawns,  the  early  training 
towards  duty  makes  infidelity,  separation  and  divorce, 
that  fast-growing  hydra  of  modern  society,  next  to 
impossible. 

The  Zenana  system  teaches  the  wife  that  home,  not 
the  street,  flirtation  and  gossip ;  that  her  husband, 
and  his  children,  not  those  of  any  man  she  may  happen 
to  fancy  more,  need  and  claim  her  undivided  time  and 
attention,  her  kind  and  gentle  ministration,  and  her 
hourly  love.  Peace  and  harmony  thus  prevail  in  the 
humblest  home.  There  is  no  seeking  to  become  con- 
spicuous in  conversation,  dress,  or  public  office  ;  no 
craving  after  immediate  acquaintance  with  every  male 
stranger  that  appears  well  dressed  or  drives  a  fast 
horse.  Modesty,  purity,  and  gentle  sincerity  make  her 
the   idol  of  her  home,  a   creature   worthy  of   her  hus- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  151 

band  and  her  Maker,  and  often  a  model  for  the  very 
men  and  women  sent  to  convert  her. 

As  might  be  imagined,  the  first  thing  next  to  ascer- 
taining the  whereabouts  of  Lord  Dufferin,  who  at  the 
time  was  the  Governor  General,  at  a  salary  of  $125,000, 
search  was  made  for  the  Black  Hole,  where,  according 
to  Mr.  Holwell,  on  June  20,  1756,  one  hundred  and 
forty-six  persons  were  driven,  by  the  command  of  the 
Nawab  of  Bengal,  into  the  guard-room  of  Fort  William, 
a  place  hardly  twenty  feet  square,  and  with  but  two 
small  windows,  and  all  but  twenty  three  perished  be- 
fore the  next  morning.  Mr.  Holwell  was  one  of  these 
survivors.  I  have  called  it  the  guard-room  of  old 
Fort  William,  though  it  is  my  own  conclusion,  drawn 
from  these  facts.  To  my  inquiries  as  to  the  location 
of  the  Hole,  I  was  told  by  several  that  it  was  located 
on  the  spot  of  a  certain  government  building,  and  by 
others  that  it  was  enclosed  in  Fort  William.  As  the 
present  Fort  William  was  not  constructed  until  after 
1756,  and  by  Col.  Clive,  w^ho  had  come  up  from 
Madras  to  punish  the  natives,  and  that,  too,  farther 
down  the  stream,  and  as,  also,  there  was,  at  the  time 
of  the  massacre,  an  old  Fort  William  where  now  the 
custom-house  and  other  government  buildings  stand, 
my  conclusion  was  that  the  spot  is  now  beneath  the 
latter  buildings  or  warehouse,  and  not  some  distance 
down  the  stream,  wdthin  the  present  fort. 

Of  course,  the  disappointment  is  always  unpleasant 


152        PLEA  SANT  HO  URS  IN  S  UN  NY  LANDS, 

in  not  finding  the  identical  thing  you  seek,  but  mem- 
ory brings  up  a  like  experience  in  hunting  for  the 
Bastile  on  my  first  visit  to  Paris.  Up  and  down,  and 
down  and  up,  the  fruitless  search  went  on,  until  it 
suddenly  flashed  across  my  mind  that,  possibly,  it  had 
never  been  rebuilt  after  its  overthrow  by  the  Com- 
mune. On  this  theory,  the  old  site  lay  right  before 
my  eyes  all  the  time  in  the  Place  de  Bastile.  My 
theory  was  right  there  ;  I  believe  it  right  in  regard  to 
the  Black  Hole  of  Calcutta,  now.  The  Government 
House,  the  ofiicial  residence  of  Lord  Dufferin,  is  oppo- 
site the  Park,  and  clearly  in  view.  Lord  Dufferin  and 
lady  are  deservedly  popular  here  from  their  many 
reforms  and  kind  and  benevolent  deeds.  Horse-cars 
run  through  a  portion  of  the  city,  the  fare  being  so 
many  pice,  a  copper  coin  of  less  value  than  the  silver 
anna.  The  European  quarter  is  now  well  marked 
from  the  thatched  huts  of  the  native  population,  and 
many  of  the  causes  of  malaria,  once  so  prevalent,  are 
effectually  removed. 

As  I  pass  along  the  streets,  many  scenes,  common 
to  the  interior,  surprise  the  eye.  Some  have  curved 
or  straight  white  or  red  lines,  or  sometimes  dots, 
chalked  on  cheek  or  forehead.  Here  stands  an  old 
man  with  palzied  arm  pointing  stiffly  into  the  air,  and 
most  wretched  face,  to  whom  all  natives  seem  to  offer 
alms  or  obeisance.  He  is  a  priest,  or  holy  man,  whose 
long  abstinence   and  penance,  perhaps,   has  reduced 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  153 

him  to  this  mere  skeleton,  and,  at  the  same  time,  raised 
him  to  honor  in  the  estimation  of  these  queer  people.. 
The  arm  was,  I  am  told,  reduced  to  its  helpless  con- 
dition by  holding  it  piously  on  high.  There  was  a 
time  when  the  native  manifested  his  devotion  by  a 
journey  to  Benares,  crawling  the  hundreds  of  weary 
miles,  like  a  caterpillar,  depending  upon  the  fields  or 
chance  charity  for  sustenance,  and  often  sacrificing  his 
life  to  the  prowling  panther  and  tiger  infesting  every 
part  of  that  region.  Now  the  Church  of  England, 
the  Baptists,  and  other  Protestants,  besides  ]\Iahom- 
medans,  Catholics,  and  the  Order  of  Jesus,  are  all,  in 
their  way,  working  upon  and  against  the  Brahmin  and 
Buddhist  priests,  and  have  here  many  schools,  com- 
modious churches,  and  one  cathedral. 

It  is  not  uncommon  to  meet  people  tattooed  down 
to  their  very  knees,  while  others  are  fairly  loaded  with 
gold  and  _  silver  necklaces,  armlets,  bracelets,  anklets, 
and  toe-rings,  and  it  is  truly  a  rich  sight,  when  in  imme- 
diate contrast  with  the  delicate  laces  and  white,  fleecy 
costumes  tastefully  arranged  upon  their  healthy,  grace- 
ful forms.  It  is  also  common  to  see  trained  animals 
upon  the  streets,  and  even  on  the  river,  eighty  miles 
from  its  mouth,  were  observed  in  the  verv  midst  of  the 
family,  and  in  a  dinghy  scarcely  sufficient  to  give  stand- 
ing room,  a  deer,  an  ape,  and  a  bear.  There  is  one  thing 
for  congratulation,  and  that  is  that  the  same  weather 
which  covers   us   all  with  a  perfect  sheet  of  perspira- 


154      PLEASANT  HOURS  IX  SUNNY  LANDS, 

tion  drives  the  untidy  from  torn  torn  to  a  bath.  Every 
morning,  the  Ganges  and  its  tributary,  the  Hoogly,  are 
lined  with  men,  women,  and  children,  up  to  their  waists 
in  the  cooling  though  dirty  water.  And  in  the  inte- 
rior, not  only  people,  but  groups  of  buffaloes  are  seen, 
the  latter  up  to  their  very  muzzles.  This  animal, 
yoked  to  a  rude  two-wheeled  cart,  is  a  common  sight. 
Its  broad  feet  make  it  superior  to  the  horse,  or  even 
the  ox,  for  marshy  places,  and,  once  in  use,  it  goes 
everywhere.  Its  immense  semi-lunar  horns  are  a  terror 
even  to  the  panther  and  tiger,  whether  in  a  wild  state 
or  on  exhibition.  In  addition  to  the  river,  several 
canals  furnish  the  Bengalese  with  water,  and  new  baths 
are  building  inside  of  the  Park  at  Calcutta.  Noticing 
a  long  line  of  natives  with  bright  brass  or  copper 
utensils  file  along  early  one  morning,  I  found  that 
they  stopped  at  an  ornamental  watering  fountain, 
erected,  according  to  a  tablet,  by  the  Prince  of  Wales 
on  his  recent  visit.  It  was  free,  and,  for  that  reason, 
the  people  truly  appreciated  it. 

While  Benares  and  Calcutta  are  old  and  large  cities, 
no  worthy  bridge  at  these  points  spanned  the  Ganges 
until  the  year  of  my  visit,  the  jubilee  year  of  Queen 
Victoria,  who  now  also  is  styled  Empress  of  India. 
The  bridge  is  in  the  nature  of  pontoon  or  floating 
bridge,  but  well  accommodates  the  public.  India  has 
now  its  railways,  the  one  from  Calcutta  to  Bombay 
being  1,400  miles  in  length,  and  runs  through  the  wild 


/.V  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  155 

midlands.  It  also  has  many  tine  viaducts.  Among 
the  most  remarkable  sights  are  the  temples,  hewn  in 
solid  rock,  but  as  dak-gharries  are  the  usual  convey- 
ance away  from  railroad  lines,  they  are  not  easily 
accessible.  Strictly  speaking,  they  are  Cave  Temples, 
and  abound  with  paintings  and  sculptures,  and  are 
decorated  with  bright  frescoes.  They  seemed  to  be 
confined  to  no  exclusive  part  of  India.  The  Ajunta, 
32  miles  only  from  the  Great  Indian  Peninsula  Rail- 
way. The  Caves  of  EUora,  40  miles  from  Nondgaon, 
of  great  antiquity,  has  a  chamber  180  feet  square,  and 
in  its  inclosure  are  two  obelisks  80  feet  in  height,  with 
a  base  of  statue  of  an  elephant,  all  carved  and  hewn 
from  solid  rock.  On  the  Island  of  Elephanta,  six 
miles  from  the  Western  Coast  of  India,  and  near  Bom- 
bay, are  three  such  Cave  Temples,  one  133  feet  by 
130,  and  20  feet  high,  supported  by  immense  pillars 
finely  ornamented.  A  three-headed  bust  of  gigantic 
proportions  faces  the  entrance.  It  is  supposed  to  rep- 
resent the  Brahmin  Trinity.  The  island  derived  its 
name  from  a  solid  stone  elephant  13  feet  in  length, 
which  has  now  disappeared. 

In  travelling  in  the  interior,  one  should  carry  his 
bed  and  bedding,  for  at  the  Dak -bungalows  nothing 
comfortable  is  found.  The  use  of  one  of  these 
homes  costs  about  a  rupee  per  day.  You  pay  extra 
for  food  and  other  accommodations.  Taking  into 
consideration  that  you  may  have  to  ride  pig-a-back  or 


156       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

in  a  covered  bullock  cart,  and  have  to  wait  for  hours 
for  even  this  quaint  and  dislocating  conveyance,  travel 
in  the  interior  with  food,  utensils  and  bedding,  has 
but  few  attractions.  If  you  must  see  a  wild  tiger,  bear, 
elephant,  panther,  crocodile,  buffalo,  or  deer,  it  is 
better  to  journey  up  and  down  by  train,  where  you  are 
safe,  and  see  them  on  the  move,  as  is  often  possible. 
Allahabad  is  interestins:  for  the  size  of  its  tamarind 
trees,  with  thousands  of  flying-foxes,  and  two  Pali 
inscriptions  of  great  antiquity  like  those  at  Delhi  and 
Benares.  There  is  also  here  a  banyan  tree,  said  to  be 
1,500  years  old.  the  resort  for  the  devout  from  all 
around,  as  it  is  the  sacred  tree  of  the  natives.  To 
once  worship  here  and  bathe  in  the  neighboring  waters 
of  the  Ganges,  no  journey  can  be  too  long  or  fatigue 
too  great.  It  is  here,  as  I  have  said  of  Calcutta,  that 
you  see  long-haired  and  almost  nude  men  covered  with 
dust  and  ashes,  looking  like  human  skeletons,  the 
Fakirs  or  holy  men,  for  which  the  native,  unaccount- 
ably, except  from  superstition  and  ignorance,  professes 
respect  and  the  deepest  sympathy. 

But  before  it  escapes  my  mind,  let  me  say  a  word 
about  this  tree,  so  singular  in  its  formation  as  well  as 
so  sacred  throughout  India.  It  commences  a  single 
stem  or  trunk.  Soon  branches  shoot  out.  From 
these  branches  long  filaments  or  air  roots  descend 
towards  the  mother  earth.  The  native  tenderly  cares 
for  these  until  in  its  downward  growth  it  is  trained  to 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  157 

the  ground,  where  it  soon  takes  root.     Instead  of  one 

trunk  you  now  may  have  several,  while   at  the  same 

time   the  first  trunk  is   rising  higher  and   sending  out 

more  limbs  which,  in  turn,  are  sending  more  filaments 

to  the  ground.     One  is  on  record  with  a  circumference 

of  2,000  feet,  containing  3,000   trunks,  and   capable  of 

sheltering  7,000  people.     There  is  one  in  the  Calcutta 

Botanical  Gardens  of  similar  grand  proportions,  which, 

with  its  heart-shaped  leaves  and  thick  foliage,  is  truly 

worthy  of  the  name  of  the  Temple  of  Nature.     The 

poorer  huts  generally  have  above   them   the  graceful 

tamarind  tree,  but  on  their  days  of  religious  devotions, 

which  may  last  a  whole  month  or  more,  during  which 

they  toil  not,  neither  do  they  spin,  despite  the  threats 

or  curses  of  Europeans,  they  hie  themselves  away  to 

the  grateful  shade  of  the  banyan,     I  am  sorry  to  say 

also    that,    although   holy   water    and    the    priest    are 

gaining  strong  foothold   among  these  men,  the  use  of 

fire-water  is  spreading  faster,   and  that,  too,  imported 

from  civilized  countries. 

Another  strange  place  is  Deogurh,  where  100,000 
pilgrims  annually  arrive  at  its  temples,  and  then  go  on 
to  Puri,  where  are  the  temples  of  Juggernath  and  the 
idol  of  Vishnu.  Wishing  to  see  Mt.  Everest,  we 
found  we  must  go  to  Darjeeling,  379  miles  from  Cal- 
cutta. It  is  7,169  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  but 
is  reached  without  any  great  fatigue.  This  is  account- 
ed for  by  the  exceedingly  attractive  country  through 


158       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

which  you  pass.  Long  stretches  of  poppy,  indigo 
cotton,  and  tea  plantations  He  at  your  feet,  while  away 
in  the  distance  rise  noble  heights  of  25,000  feet,  sup- 
ported by  the  kingly  Mt.  Everest  with  4,000  feet  of 
head  and  crown  additional.  While  on  the  way  to 
Benares,  one  can  stop  and  visit  the  Monkey  Temple, 
infested  by  hundreds  of  these  queer  creatures,  all 
clamorous  for  food  and  attention. 

Benares  is  but  475  miles  from  Calcutta,  and  con- 
tains about  200,000  souls,  a  greater  part  of  which  are 
Hindoos.  You  are  constantly  reminded  of  this  by 
meeting  at  every  corner  a  vermilion-painted  deity,  so 
grotesque  often  as  to  excite  laughter  instead  of  rev- 
erence. Along  the  river-side  there  are  some  fine 
buildings  and  temples,  though,  as  in  Venice,  some 
have  followed  their  foundations  to  a  dangerous  incline, 
caused  by  the  action  of  the  river  on  the  underlying 
soil.  The  houses  are  mostly  of  stone,  and  often  of 
good  height,  but  many  of  the  streets  are  like  those  of 
Chinese  cities,  too  narrow  for  anything  but  pedestrians. 
Besides  1,000  Hindoo  temples,  there  are  300  Moham- 
medan mosques.  In  addition,  every  niche  and  corner, 
inside  and  out,  contains  a  shrine  for  domestic  and 
daily  worship.  The  Bathing  Ghauts  on  the  Ganges, 
almost  any  morning,  reveal  most  extraordinary  sights 
and  sounds,  and  the  ascent  of  the  minarets  of  the 
Jumma  Musjid  gives  the  whole  city  in  all  its  beauty 
and  quaintness.     Working  of  brass  and  copper  ware, 


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IX  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  159 

SO  commonly  in  use  in  India,  is  one  of  the  cliief 
industries  of  the  place,  and  nearly  as  interesting  as  its 
justly  celebrated  cloths  of  gold  and  silver  brocade. 

But  not  to  be  tedious,  let  us  pass  Lucknow  and  Cawn- 
pore,  Delhi  and  Agra,  which  are  deeply  interesting  in  a 
historical  and  mineralogical  point  of  view,  and  hurry  back 
by  rail  to  Calcutta,  to  the  scene  mentioned  in  my  very  be- 
ginnins;.   The  French  steamer,  under  mv  old  friend's  con- 
trol,  swung  around  at  the  King  of  Cudh's  palace,  and  we 
bid  adieu   to  northern   India.     Hundreds  of  kites  fol- 
lowed in   our  wake,    rising  high   in  the   air  and  then, 
doubling   their  wings,  shot  like  an  arrow  into  the  dis- 
turbed  water  to  surely  rise  fish-laden.     Dinghys,  with 
long  bambo  poles  supporting  a  large  net,  floated  side- 
wise   down  with  the  tide.     Each    contained    three    or 
four   natives,  who,  after  allowing  the  net  to  remain  be- 
neath  the   surface   a   few  minutes,  quickly  ran  up  the 
opposite  ends  of  the  two  poles  until  their  united  weight 
overcame  that  of  the  net  and  catch  of  fish,  and  sent  it 
high   in  the   air.     The  fare,  in  a  very  short  time,  was 
transferred  to  the  boat,  and  the  net  cleared  for  a  repe- 
tition  of  the   business   operation.      More  curious  still 
were  the  tactics  of  men  standing  waist  deep  and  push- 
ing before  and  around  them  a  smaller  net  of  about  ten 
square  feet,  which,  from  time  to  time,  was  raised  to 
the  surface,  and  the  catch,  in  a  twinkling,  transferred 
to  a  large  turban  on  their  heads. 

Eighty   miles   down   brought   us   to  the   great  deep 


160       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

again,  far  from  men  and  beast,  and  face  to  face  with 
the  mighty  forces  of  nature,  the  terrific  cyclone  and 
pitiless  sea.  While  reading  the  Calcutta  paper  my  eye 
caught  upon  the  following:  "SS.  Paramatta,  arrived 
yesterday,  reports  on  August  9,  the  heat  in  the  Red 
Sea  was  190  degrees  in  the  shade."  Hitherto,  when- 
ever a  thermometer  was  convenient,  the  highest  range 
noticed  was  but  130  degrees,  and  that  was  about  all  I 
wished  to  bear,  but  the  officers  soon  convinced  me  that 
such  heat  was  possible  at  the  time  of  year,  a  fact  expe- 
rience taught  me  to  be  true,  when  in  my  journey  we 
found  it  160  degrees  in  Arabia,  in  September.  Indeed, 
from  the  time  we  left  Calcutta  until  we  landed  at  Alex- 
andria in  Egypt,  it  was  so  warm  that  the  punkah  was 
always  kept  in  motion  at  meal  time.  The  great  heat 
had  its  compensation  in  our  superior  accommodations 
and  fare,  for  which,  as  long  as  I  travelled  on  this  line, 
no  praise  can  be  too  great.  The  entire  after-part  of 
the  boat,  which  was  elevated  some  12  feet  from  the 
main  deck,  was  protected  from  the  sun  and  wind  by  a 
secure  awning,  and  kept  as  neat  as  wax,  so  that, 
although  dressed  in  plain  white,  we  could  sit  down  or 
recline  anywhere  without  fear  of  injury. 

The  same  can  be  said  of  our  food.  An  abun- 
dance of  courses  of  tastefully-arranged  and  delicately- 
cooked  viands  were,  always  courteously  served  by 
French  waiters,  who  seemed  to  take  pride  in  their 
success.     And  it  was  marvellous  how  many  surprises  a 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  161 

French  cook  can  pleasantly  make,  in  but  a  few  weeks' 
time.  Dessert  was  the  same,  of  which  I  recall  the 
mangosteen,  date,  orange,  and  custard  apple,  with 
every  kind  of  nut  imaginable.  Our  officers,  from  com- 
mander down,  were  pure  French.  Our  crew,  Lascars 
and  Seadee  boys.  It  was  a  rich  sis^ht  to  see  the  Hin- 
doo  servants  and  waiters  standing  erect  behind  our 
chairs,  with  their  solemn  faces  and  queer  life-preserver 
like  hats,  —  for  their  heads  were  alwavs  covered  in  the 
saloon.  Every  one  in  the  East  has  his  body  servant, 
so  we  had  a  number  aboard.  The  term  Lascar  is 
generally  applied  to  the  native  sailor  or  gunner,  as  the 
word  Sepoy  is  to  the  native  soldier.  Which  reminds 
me,  that  the  noblest  of  the  native  army  come  from  the 
northwest  of  India,  and  are  called  Sikhs.  Seven  feet 
in  heiizht  is  not  at  all  uncommon  among  them.  From 
that  part  of  India  I  met  a  large  number  of  people 
as  white  as  I,  though  some  had  colored  wives,  which 
served  to  distinguish  them  a  little  from  myself.  In 
fact,  I  carefully  refrained  from  any  gift  of  dress  or 
clothing  to  a  maiden  girl,  using  trinket  or  fruit  instead, 
in  the  entire  East,  as  to  present  a  woman  with  her 
wearing  apparel  is  quite  equal  to  consent  and  iriinister 
put  together  in  our  country. 

The  second  day  out,  of  our  pleasant  company,  Miss 
Dubern,  Mrs.  Atkinson,  and  the  Pere  De  Wavre  fell 
victims  to  the  general  enemy  of  ocean  travel,  but  val- 
iantly refused  to  go  below,  which  fact,  with  its  attend- 


162       PLEASANT  HOURS  TN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

ant  free  exhibitions  of  hurried,  though  covert,  visits  to 
the  vessel's  side,  sadly  gave  the  enemy  the  advantage 
over  the  yet  unhurt.  I  busied  myself  looking  at  the 
flying-lish  and  attending  to  the  children,  while  secretly 
aching  for  Mrs.  Atkinson  to  recover,  as  she  had  prom- 
ised to  show  me  an  ancient  gold  coin  called  the  mohur, 
which  she  had  found  in  Patna,  and  had  preserved  in 
the  shape  of  a  brooch.  I  afterwards,  on  her  recovery, 
found  it  to  be  a  very  irregular,  oval  and  thin  gold  disk, 
about  an  inch  and  a  quarter  in  diameter,  with  strange 
bars  and  figures  on  each  of  its  fiat  surfaces.  It  is  a 
very  rare  coin,  but,  like  everything  made  of  native 
gold,  is  too  soft  for  constant  use.  Many  of  my  coins 
w^ere  equally  interesting  to  the  saloon.  Col.  Godfrey, 
one  of  our  number,  was  of  the  28th  native  Indian  reg- 
iment, and,  with  his  wife,  was  taking  a  trip  for  his 
health.  Mrs.  Godfrey  was  a  perfect  counterpart  of 
an  old  friend  at  home,  and,  consequently,  made  the 
voyage  one  of  rare  pleasure.  One  day  I  caught  them 
reading  Mark  Twain's  "  Life  on  the  Mississippi," 
which  would  surely  have  given  me  a  shock  had  it  been 
anyone  else.  I  had  been  so  long  away  from  everything 
American,  it  seemed  like  a  blessing  to  see  them  enjoy- 
ing even  that  overdrawn  sketch  of  American  life.  Ah, 
those  were  happy  hours,  hours  that  came  and  went  as 
though  they  were  always  to  last !  Dear  friends,  our 
sudden  parting  pains  me  still ! 

When  we  reached   Madras,  we  found   it  impossible 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  163 

to  get  inside  of  the  breakwater,  and  that  ten  other 
steamers  were  in  the  same  situation.  This  long  stretch 
of  solid  masonry,  erected  at  great  cost,  had  been  torn 
asunder  and  thrown  helter-skelter  by  a  mighty  cyclone, 
so  that  it  affords  little  shelter,  if  it  does  not  really  make 
navigation  more  dangerous  While  bobbing  up  and 
down  on  the  immense  billows,  we  saw  the  low  coast 
and  its  attractive  surroundings.  A  long  street  along  a 
pretty  beach  has  many  fine  buildings.  Directly  in  the 
rear  is  the  college,  the  church,  the  park,  and  to  the 
south  several  massive  government  buildings.  Wild 
billows  chase  each  other  from  the  broad  ocean  to  the 
very  street.  No  boat  can  live  in  such  a  surf.  Natives 
are  seen,  wearing  nothing  but  a  medal,  so  to  speak, 
paddling  a  raft  of  three  logs,  of  ^vhich  the  centre  one 
has  a  slight  curve  upwards,  in  hot  haste  for  our  pat- 
ronage, and  to  our  assistance.  This  is  the  historical 
catamaran,  on  which  a  native  can  carry  the  mail,  when 
any  other  craft  would  go  to  the  bottom.  Their  usual 
posture,  when  paddling,  is  on  their  knees,  and  often, 
when  having  iish  or  fruit  for  sale,  the  competition  of 
these  single-handed  rafts  is  amusing.  The  skill  of  the 
Madrasese  is  no  less  remarkable  than  their  courage, 
for  I  have  met  them  away  out  of  sight  of  land,  fishing 
with  nothing  but  these  three  small  seven-foot  logs,  tied 
together  with  palm  or  grass  rope,  between  them  and  a 
waterv  ":rave. 

Next  to  the  catamaran,  as  a  surf  surmounter,  comes 


164       PLEA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UN  NY  LANDS, 

the  Marsula  boats,  large,  deep,  and  bulky  craft,  fash- 
ioned by  sewing  long  strips  of  board  lengthwise  to- 
gether, a?  you  would  a  ball  covering,  with  grass  or 
palm  cord.  One  would  as  soon  think  of  finding  a 
calabash  or  cucumber-shell  boat  in  use,  as  one  sewed 
together  in  this  strange  fashion.  But  there  it  was, 
and  full  of  silk,  indigo,  opium,  and  other  exports, 
slowly  approaching  under  the  power  of  a  dozen  stand- 
ing oarsmen,  and  a  queer  muffled  figure,  with  a  mon- 
strous white  turban  crowning  his  dark  features,  urging 
them  on.  These  oars,  I  noticed,  were  leaf-shaped  at 
the  blade,  and  rudely  constructed  as  to  the  other  part. 
Madras  has  two  lighthouses,  one  at  the  fort,  serving  as 
an  attractive  ornament,  and  the  other  farther  north. 
If  it  were  not  for  these,  it  would  be  a  treacherous 
coast,  as  the  immense  billows  would  swamp  the  stoutest 
boat.  An  irregular  peak  toward  the  centre  is  fortified 
with  artillery,  and  is  the  only  high  land  until  you  go 
north.  In  the  park  is  a  fine  collection  of  wild  animals. 
After  seeing  the  beautiful  situation  of  Madras  on  the 
broad  ocean,  one  cannot  imagine  how  so  many  prefer 
Calcutta,  even  in  the  winter,  when  the  government  is 
back  again  from  Simla  in  the  interior. 

The  natives  live  apart  from  the  Europeans,  which 
makes  the  settlement  extend  some  eight  miles  along 
the  pretty  coast.  It  now  ranks  third  as  an  Indian  sea- 
port. Col.  Godfrey  showed  me  his  old  dwelling  here. 
These  residences  are  usually  surrounded  by  extensive 


IX  A   TOUR  AKOUXD  THE   WORLD.  165 

grounds,  laid  out  with  plants  and  flowers,  and  are  very 
different  from  his  Burmah  station.  The  leading  street 
is  called  Mount  Road,  and  leads  from  Fort  St.  George 
to  St.  Thomas  Mount.  The  Cathedral  and  Mowbray 
Roads  are  also  wide  and  neat.  The  latter  has  a  fine 
avenue  of  banyan  trees.  In  the  square  west  of  the  fort 
is  a  marble  statue  of  our  old  Yorktown  friend,  Lord 
Cornwallis,  who  once  distinguished  himself  here. 
Near  by  is  a  fine  equestrian  statue  of  Sir  Thomas 
Munro,  by  Chantry.  His  remains  rest  near  by  in  the 
old  English  church,  near  those  of  the  Missionary 
Schwartz.  There  is  also  an  observatorv  here,  from 
which  all  India  takes  its  time.  There  are  ten  Chris- 
tian cemeteries  and  many  missionary  schools.  It  also 
has  a  memorial  to  Bishop  Heber. 

After  satisfying  ourselves  about  Madras  and  its 
surrounding  country,  we  put  out  to  sea  for  the  French 
possessions  about  Pondicherry,  and  soon  saw  its  low 
sandy  beach,  pretty  places  and  background  hills  di- 
rectly before  us.  The  beach  is  one  of  its  prettiest 
features,  but  when  you  have  been  rowed  a  mile  to 
shore,  you  find  it  as  gay  and  interesting  a  place  as 
India  contains.  A  canal  separates  the  native  from  the 
European  town,  and  the  real  life  of  the  place  is  some 
little  distance  inland.  Near  the  water,  however,  is  a 
large-sized  statue  of  Gen.  Dupliez,  Nawab  of  the  Car- 
natic,  and  once  strong  in  influence  at  Hyderabad. 
Not   far   away,   near    the   Boulevards,   are   many  neat 


166      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

hotels,  and  as  the  healthiness  of  the  climate  and 
purity  of  its  drinking  water  excel  most  seaport  cities, 
it  has  the  appearance  of  a  gay  and  fashionable  water- 
ing-place. Along  the  sandy  beach,  scores  of  happy 
couples  wend  their  slow  and  joyous  way,  while  a  queer 
vehicle,  not  seen  elsewhere,  with  large  white  sails  and 
steered  from  within,  moves  up  and  down  the  same 
sandy  course,  giving  invalids  and  children  a  merry 
boat-ride  on  solid  land.  The  light-house  rises  from 
the  square  it  ornaments,  and  not  far  from  the  only 
pier.  The  ten  columns  of  native  stone  surrounding 
the  Dupliez  statute  rise  close  by.  The  Cathedral  has 
two  square  towers  and  a  large  dome,  like  the  Notre 
Dame  of  Paris,  and  far  to  the  North  a  Mohammedan 
mosque,  with  minaret  and  like  dome,  stand  out  in 
quaintest  contrast. 

In  the  interior  we  came  across  the  most  primitive 
money  I  had  used,  with  the  exception  of  the  bar  of 
silver  before  mentioned,  and  the  cowry  shell  also  used 
here  in  Southern  India,  It  was  a  small  oval  copper 
disk  with  the  rajah's  stamp.  The  right  to  coin  money 
is  identical  here  with  the  right  to  govern,  and  conse- 
quently, when  in  the  domain  of  rajah,  marajah  or 
nawab,  you  find  and  use  their  native  coin.  The 
English,  however,  have  their  own  money  in  paper, 
silver  and  gold.  Many  of  the  silver  rupees  of  the  old 
East  India  Company  are  still  in  use.  But  a  dozen  or 
more   of    French   women  and    girls   are    about    to    be 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  167 

rowed  to  the  Tibre,  so  we  might  as  well  accompany 
them.  Three  mighty  billows  of  surf  nearly  stand  our 
boat  on  end,  but  when  once  beyond,  the  sea  was 
almost  glassy,  and  much  too  soon  we  reached  the  ves- 
sel's side.  With  three  times  three  hurrahs,  the  boat 
crew  left.  We  had  hardly  reached  the  deck,  when  still 
more  enthusiasm  was  noticed  from  a  boat  containing  a 
French  consul  and  his  numerous  family.  If  Adele 
sees  this,  may  she  pardon  this  reference,  for  were  there 
not  six  small  persons  besides  herself?  Ah,  what  an 
Adele  !  Who  but  you  with  your  childish  prattle  could 
have  consoled  me  for  the  loss  of  Col.  Godfrey  and  his 
lovely  lady,  who  had  but  then  bid  me  a  warm  farewell  1 
With  our  eyes  sadly  fixed  on  the  fast  receding  shore, 
over  which  we  could  still  look  into  the  pleasant  country 
beyond,  speechless  at  loss  of  friends,  seen  only  perhaps 
beyond  the  vale,  we  watched  the  sun  go  down  as  on 
their  graves.  That  night,  out  of  sight  of  land,  and 
exposed  to  crossing  seas  from  the  Indian  Ocean,  it 
was  frightful.  Ernest  Brier,  wife,  and  two  children, 
had  long  before  succumbed  to  the  inevitable,  and  lay 
helpless.  None  but  Mr.  Lindguist,  Mrs.  Atkinson, 
and  myself,  were  left  on  our  feet,  with  Mrs.  Atkinson 
on  the  doubtful  seat,  but  still  coming  up  smiling. 
After  it  became  too  dangerous  above,  we  succeeded  in 
forcing  our  way  safely  to  the  saloon,  and  there  tried 
to  cheer  up  the  poor,  homesick  mortals  then  almost 
wild  with  despair.    French  nature  is  either  very  buoyant 


168       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

or  despondent.  Many  were  leaving  pleasant  homes  for 
Tahiti  and  other  distant  fields  of  labor.  Mrs.  Brier,  a 
lovely  young  woman,  was,  the  livelong  night,  begging 
her  husband  to  return,  to  only  go  back,  and  she  would 
bear  any  hardship  than  endure  the  present  misery 
longer.  If  joy  has  its  heights,  sorrow,  none  the  less. 
has  its  dark  depths  of  despair,  and  both  may  fall  on 
the  same  individual. 

Up,  up,  up,  rises  our  gallant  ship,  when,  in  a  trice, 
her  nose  is  plunged  deep  into  the  raging  billows,  and 
struck,  one,  two,  three,  by  the  maddened  sea,  as  by  a 
mighty  sledge.  To  say  that  my  heart  went  out  to 
those  poor,  helpless  mortals,  is  unnecessary.  Little 
Paul,  a  lovely,  curly-headed  boy  of  three,  all  night  long 
loudly  cried  out  for  his  helpless  mamma,  while  six 
inches  of  water  swashed  around  our  feet  in  the  cabin. 
Soon  after  daybreak  we  sighted  the  distant  jDcaks  of 
northern  Ceylon,  and  saw  signs  of  a  quieter  sea  ahead, 
though  huge  white-caps,  rising  to  an  immense  height, 
and  often  having  their  foundation  knocked  out  from 
under  them,  struggled  like  aerial  monsters  all  about 
us.  None  but  the  strongest  vessel  can  outlive  such  a 
cyclone  and  sea.  After  passing  Trincomalee,  the 
sandy  shore  became  higher,  and  mountain  peaks  ap- 
peared in  the  far  interior.  Passed  both  Little  Bass 
Light  and  Great  Bass  Light,  the  latter  a  beautiful, 
flashing  light,  like  an  immense  Oriental  ruby.  The 
next  day  found  us,  early,  off  Point  de  Galle,  lying  low 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  169 

and  surrounded  by  hills,  and  is  the  most  exposed  point 
in  all  the  Indian  Ocean.  It  has  a  lighthouse  and  several 
large  hotels  and  other  buildings,  but  large  vessels  now 
shun  its  dangerous  coast,  and  go  on  to  Columbo  on 
the  western  coast,  where  a  strong  breakwater  protects 
them  from  both  southwest  and  northeast  monsoon. 
The  nose  of  the  Tibre  rose  on  high  and  plunged 
straight  down  into  the  sea  again  about  once  a  minute. 
Suddenly  down  swept  a  gale  again  and  drove  the  rain 
before  it  till  the  scene  was  startingly  like  the  drifting 
snow  in  midwinter.  Every  rain  drop  was  lashed  into 
foam,  and  upon  the  wildly  racing  billows  appeared 
nothing  but  hillocks  of  ghostly  white.  The  French 
Governor  of  Chandernagore,  who  had  been  unable  to 
leave  his  stateroom  since  leaving  Calcutta,  must  have 
thought  that  he  had  awakened  in  Dante's  Inferno. 

Bv  the  time  we  made  Mt.  Lavinia,  the  sun  burst 
forth,  and  we  were  gratified  by  a  sight  of  its  fine  hotel, 
with  seven  or  eight  miles  of  foam  and  surf,  white, 
green,  and  blue,  leaping  high  into  the  air.  Away  in 
the  distance  was  the  immense  breakwater  of  Colombo, 
constructed  in  1875,  with  a  lighthouse  at  its  farthest 
sea  end,  over  which,  in  high,  bold  leaps,  the  same 
greenish-white  surf  was  wildly  vaulting.  We  were 
then  grandly  riding  upon  a  beautiful  yellowish-green 
sea,  rising  and  falling  like  an  egg-shell  on  its  immense 
billows.  Right  before  us,  skimming  along  like  a 
swallow,  with  a  large  expanse  of  white  sail  outspread. 


170       PLEASANT  HO  L 'A'S  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

was  a  queer,  long,  narrow  craft  fashioned  from  a  log, 
upon  which  was  constructed,  to  the  height  of  two  feet, 
two  box-like  sides,  and  just  space  enough  between  to 
insert  a  slim  pair  of  legs.  Two  seats,  like  those  of 
any  boat,  ran  at  right  angles  across  the  top,  and  two 
long,  curved  poles,  fastened  at  one  end  to  the  boat 
and  the  other  tied  to  a  long  log  running  parallel  to 
the  keel,  served,  as  an  outrigger,  to  give  it  steadiness. 
It  was  a  bom-boat,  used  here  both  for  passengers  and 
native  traders.  It  glides  over  the  water  with  lightning 
speed,  cutting  its  way  like  a  knife. 

Far  to  the  left  were  two  high-walled,  shoe-like  boats 
with  but  one  mast  and  a  long,  slanting  boom  with 
triangular  sail,  so  ancient  I  knew  that  it  must  have 
come  fresh  from  Egypt  or  the  Nile.  I  had  but  to 
catch  a  glimpse  of  the  long,  red  flag,  with  its  crescent 
and  three  stars,  and  I  was  convinced.  Ages  have 
come,  ages  gone,  but  the  queer  Dahabeah,  so  familiar 
in  Egyptian  river  scenes,  has  never  changed.  Above 
and  beyond  all,  rose  the  majestic  palm  in  countless 
numbers,  \vith  its  usual  accompaniment  of  native 
thatched  huts  peering  out  beneath.  The  Tamil  is 
much  spoken  in  Ceylon,  but  you  find,  as  elsewhere  in 
the  East,  a  large  number  of  Turks,  Hindoos,  Arabs, 
and  Chinese.  The  first  native  I  saw  here  wore  his 
long  hair,  like  a  girl,  fastened  back  with  a  large,  circu- 
lar comb.  He  was  a  Sinhalese  merchant,  and  rode 
perched  up  in  a  bom-boat. 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE  WORLD.  171 

After  rounding  the  breakwater,  we  took  up  our 
anchorage  in  the  placid  water  behind.  Boom-boom, 
came  the  outside  billows  upon  the  protecting  sea-wall, 
rising  in  great  sheets  of  foam  and  floating  off  in  mist. 
At  first  I  could  not  leave  the  spot,  so  grand  was  the 
display.  The  wall  is  constructed  of  3 2 -ton  stone 
blocks,  16  by  20  feet,  dovetailed  into  each  other  at  an 
angle,  and  has  a  capping  12  feet  above  low-water  mark. 
It  extends  hundreds  of  feet  westward,  with  its  outer 
end  curving  northward,  bearing  a  light-house  over 
which  the  monsoon  constantly  drove  the  beautiful  bil- 
lows up  to  the  very  land.  Another  light-house,  con- 
taining also  a  clock,  rises  near  the  old  fort  and  pos- 
sesses one  of  the  best  and  clearest  lights  in  the  world, 
a  revolving  dioptic,  plainly  distinguishable  18  miles. 
There  are  two  little  steam  launches,  but  one  is  so  asth- 
matic, we  avoided  it  for  fear  that  it  might  conclude, 
after  getting  us  well  on  board,  to  give  a  last  gasp  and 
send  us  skyward.  When  on  shore,  we  found  the  street 
soon  led  to  finely  shaded  walks  and  cinnamon  gardens. 
The  long,  peach-leaf  shaped  foliage  is  so  fragrant  that 
to-day,  a  year  afterwards,  those  I  brought  home  still 
give  forth  the  delicate  aroma.  Among  the  palms,  we 
found  the  cocoanut  with  its  long  spikes  drooping  with 
its  load  of  from  12  to  20  heavy  nuts,  and  the  Pahnyra, 
which  yields  from  its  flower  spike  many  bottles  of  ex- 
cellent toddy,  the  natives  hanging  bottles  to  it  for  that 
purpose  for  six  months  of  the  year. 


172       PLEASANT  HOURS  IX  SUiYNY  LANDS, 

Where  the  native  lives  on  tlie  cocoanut,  he  finds  four 
nuts  per  day  sufficient  for  support.  Sugar  and  vinegar, 
as  well  as  toddy,  are  made  from  the  palm  ;  also  mats, 
thatch,  and  a  substitute  for  cabbage.  The  taliput 
palm  blossoms  but  once  in  a  lifetime,  and  often  after 
it  is  60  to  80  years  old.  The  blossom  is  20  feet  high. 
The  sight  of  the  cinnamon  tree,  flourishing  in  the 
white  sand,  is  striking,  as  is  the  peeling  of  the  bark 
from  its  tender  shoots  for  commerce.  Farther  to  the 
North  coffee  fields  are  numerous,  but  on  account  of 
the  coffee-bug,  tea  is  fast  taking  its  place ;  and  further 
yet,  where  still  roam  the  wild  elephant,  buft'alo,  deer, 
panther,  bear,  anaconda,  and  cobra,  were  once  fields 
of  rare  fertility  and  production,  down  to  which,  by  a  stu- 
pendous system  of  mountain  reservoirs,  dams  and 
canals,  water,  ages  past,  had  been  conducted,  to  make 
it  the  "Garden  of  the  East"  that  it  was.  There  seems 
to  be  no  coal,  but  iron  is  found  in  quite  large  quantities, 
and  often  in  a  state  of  purity.  I  was  told  that  Sin- 
halese-Vv'orked  iron  is  equal  to  the  best  Swedish  metal. 
As  you  approach  the  harbor  from  the  sea,  you  may 
observe  a  dark-blue  peak  far  inland,  like  a  monarch 
among  the  lesser  heights.  This  is  Adam's  Peak,  on 
the  summit  of  which  is  a  hollow,  now  roofed  over, 
said  by  the  followers  of  Mahomet  to  be  the  footstep  of 
Adam.  Hence  the  name.  I  need  not  add  that  the 
honor  is  contested ;  that  the  Buddhist  claims  it  for 
Buddha,   and  Portuguese  for  St.  Thomas.     If   I  had 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  173 

made  it,  it  would  have  been  the  same,  except  it  would 
not  look  quite  so  much  like  that  of  a  mule.  I  often 
on  my  trip  indulged  in  creating  foot-prints,  hieroglyph- 
ics, and  images,  that  the  rare  ingenuity  of  the  Oriental 
mind  may  not  weaken  for  want  of  subjects. 

About  here  are  found  the  blue,  green,  white  and 
pink  sapphire,  cat's-eye,  moonstone,  and  ruby.  It 
was  a  genuine  surprise  to  find  sapphires  like  diamonds. 
It  is  not  an  uncommon  sight  to  meet  a  native,  in 
nothing  but  a  waist-cloth,  out  of  which  he  will  draw  a 
double  handful  of  these  gems  cut,  uncut,  and  set.  The 
cat's-eye,  although  costing  hundreds  of  dollars  often, 
had  for  me  but  little  attractions,  yet  the  possession  to 
the  lucky  native  insures  him  life-long  comfort  and  hap- 
piness. While  examining  the  collection  of  a  Mahome- 
dan  native,  who  wore  on  his  head  a  little,  tall,  round 
straw  hat,  with  bands  of  different  color,  and  no  brim, 
he  became  very  social  and  disclosed  the  names  of 
some  of  his  recent  customers,  among  whom  were 
Eben  D.  Jordan  and  daughter,  of  Jordan,  Marsh  &  Co. 
of  Boston.  Next  to  the  gems,  the  rhododendron, 
which  grows  above  the  Sanitarium  of  Nuwara  Eliya, 
interested  me  most.  At  home  it  rarely  exceeds  ten 
feet  in  height,  but  here  a  stem  may  measure  three  feet 
in  circumference,  and  the  trunk  run  to  the  great  height 
of  70  feet,  so  rich  is  the  moisture  and  soil  of  this 
region.  Ebony  and  satin-wood  are  also  found  here. 
A  cane  of  the  former,  finely  carved  and  ornamented 


174       PL  EA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UNNY  L  A  NDS, 

with  native  ivory,  was  here  presented  me.  The  head 
was  carved  to  represent  the  wild  elephant,  and  con- 
tained real  ivory  tusks.  The  country  towns  seem  full 
of  the  finest  carved  ebony  cabinets,  boxes,  and  articles 
for  ornamentation,  for  which  they  are  justly  noted. 
The  pearl  fishery  is  not  of  the  importance  in  Colombo 
as  formerly,  but  is  carried  on  with  great  success  just 
North  in  Persia.  The  manner  of  gathering  them, 
however,  was  shown  me  by  a  Mahometan,  who  some- 
what startled  me  with  a  remark  touching  his  faith, 
little  realized  in  Christian  countries. 

"You  and  I,"'  said  he,  "are  completely  clothed  in 
both  mind,  body,  and  soul.  These  poor  creatures  are 
destitute  of  everything.  We  believe  in  one  and  the 
same  God ;  the  number  they  worship  is  unlimited." 
I  had  just  seen  the  old  temple  with  its  recumbent, 
giant  god,  refulgent  in  yellow  and  vermilion,  and  con- 
sequently could  feel  that  there  was  some  force  to  his 
succinct  statement.  Yet,  even  the  missionary  has  to 
admit  that  modern  civilization  and  commerce  brings  a 
grave  change  to  these  simple  and  true-hearted  natives, 
wherever  found  living  in  the  truth  of  nature.  Many  a 
time  they  have  trooped  by,  garlanded  with  flowers,  as 
happy  and  innocent  as  children,  until  I  have  felt  com- 
merce and  modern  society  a  curse.  The  truth  is  too 
apparent  to  the  traveller,  though  ignorantly  denied  by 
stay-at-homes;  Among  the  queer  things  you  meet 
with  here,  are  the  geckoes,  whose  toes  have  pads  with 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  175 

which  they  can  climb  perpendicularly,  and  walk  on  the 
ceiling,  the  white  ant,  or  termites,  and  the  walking  leaf 
and  stick.  Cevlon  was  known  to  the  Romans  and 
Greeks,  but  the  first  European  settlement  was  by  the 
Portuguese,  who  started  a  factory  here  at  Colombo, 
where  the  old  fort  now  stands,  in  1517.  The  Sinhalese 
kings  induced  the  Dutch  to  drive  out  the  invaders, 
which  they  did  in  1656,  and  were  in  turn  routed  by  the 
English  in  1796.  Kandy,  now  connected  by  rail,  was 
the  last  to  yield.  The  lash. is  here  still  used  as  a 
means  of  legal  punishment,  as  I  noticed  in  Singapore 
were  the  old  stocks.  Some  of  the  natives  speak  Pali, 
which  has  been  a  dead  language  for  above  two  thou- 
sand years.  It  is  in  this  tongue  that  most  of  their 
valuable  works  are  written,  including  the  Buddhist 
Bible,  called  the  "  Tripitaka,"'  which  was  written  309 
B.  C,  and  has  eleven  times  the  number  of  followers 
as  our  religion. 

Its  pure  and  simple  doctrines  still  live  in  the  native 
heart.  By  it  falsehood,  intemperance,  anger,  pride, 
dishonesty,  covetousness,  and  taking  even  the  lowest 
life,  are  strictly  forbidden.  Caste,  here  as  often  else- 
where, is  but  a  social  institution.  Ever}-  trade  is  a 
caste,  except  among  the  ^Mohammedans.  They  have 
no  caste.  The  Colombo  Ice  Co.,  manufacturers  of 
artificial  ice,  used  to  declare  a  dividend  of  60  per  cent 
from  two  machines  only,  but  tea  and  coffee  raising 
now  prove   as  good   an  investment  for  capital.     The 


176       PLEASANT  HO URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

indigo  plant  raised  here  is  a  low  weed  with  one  stalk 
and  flower.  It  is  cut  or  pulled  up  and  cast  into 
cement  tanks.  After  being  mashed  in  water  and  submit- 
ted to  pressure,  the  liquid  is  drawn  off  into  an- 
other tank  and  filtered.  It  is  then  submitted  to 
heat,  when  bright-colored  crystals  appear.  Fully  as 
interesting  was  the  shoe  plant,  from  which  is  made  a 
deep  purple  dye.  With  this  the  Chinese  women  color 
their  hair  and  eyebrows.  It  is  also  used  for  iron  and 
shoe  blacking,  hence  its  name.  Here  I  was  forced  to 
part  with  Mr.  Lindguist,  Mrs.  Atkinson  and  others,  with 
whom,  in  the    common   dange  r  of  our  perilous  voyage, 

so  many  impressive  hours  had  been  spent. 

But  my  joy  was  great  when,  on  first  going  aboard  of 
the  French  SS.  Volga,  for  Arabia,  I  found  an  Eng- 
lish book  lying  on  the  deck.  While  casting  some 
pennies  to  the  nimble  divers,  who  gather  around  as  in 
the  East  Indies,  I  unconsciously  spoke  English,  and 
was  thus  introduced  to  the  owner  of  the  volume,  an 
English-speaking  European  on  his  way  home  from 
Java.  I  had  become  so  tired  of  the  mental  exertion 
of  using  French,  that  I  hailed  him  and  a  gentleman 
and  wife,  all  with  American  faces  but  of  Dutch  birth, 
as  an  unusually  good  fortune. 


NATIVE    INDIA    COINS. 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  Yl^ 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Behold  what  men  hath  wrought  I 

The  soul  of  loveliness,  a  type  of  Heaven, 

But  once  to  mortal  vision  given  ! 


T, 


HE  Volga  was  so  inferior  to  the  Tibre  in  pleas- 
ing style  and  raised  deck,  that  I  feared,  with  so  many- 
passengers,  it  would  be  unpleasant,  but  acquaintance 
soon  obviated  all  difficulties.  It  should  have  been 
enough  to  have  had  Adele,  whose  constant  laughter 
and  limpid  French  was  a  sure  cure  for  low  spirits,  and 
who  came  tripping  down  the  wide  companion-way  into 
my  very  arms  before  I  was  hardly  aware  of  her  pres- 
ence. I  was  not  on  a  fishing  excursion,  however, 
neither  was  I  in  a  mood  to  bite.  Alas,  I  almost  wish 
I  had  now !  She  had  been  to  see  Arabi  Pasha,  who 
lives  here  in  exile,  having  the  freedom  of  the  town, 
but  never  venturing  on  the  water.  She  had  been  to 
the  cinnamon  gardens  and,  would  I  believe  it,  had 
some  of  the  fragrant  leaves  left.  Bright,  light-hearted 
Adele,  how  quickly  seasickness  stopped  that  eager 
tongue  !  To  get  you  from  my  mind  let  me  say,  that 
red  goats,  as  large  as  the  little  white  cows  of  India, 
were  about  the  last  objects  to  appear  in  sight,  flanked 
by  eight  Sisters  of  Charity  just  landed   for  Cathedral 


178       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

work.  The  Volga  was  on  her  return  to  Marseilles 
from  China,  and  carried,  among  other  things,  gifts  for 
the  Pope's  Jubilee,  soon  after  held  at  Rome.  Her 
deck  was  covered  with  canvas  awning,  and  gorgeous 
Eastern  ferns,  flowers,  birds  and  monkeys  crowded  its 
capacious  sides. 

With    four  men   at  the  wheel  and   full   speed  on,  we 

fairly   danced   over  the   ^vater   till  we   reached  the  low 

coral  isles  of  the  Maldive  group,  which  shone  with  all 

the  splendor  of  the  opal.     Here  we  moved  slowly  all 

one    Sunday    through    their    magical    scenery.       No 

steamers  of  deep  draught  thread  the  channel  except  by 

day,    although    it   has    a   light.     The  islands  are  well 

w^ooded,  but   long  lines  of  coral  reef  appear  below  the 

emerald  water,  making  navigation  extremely  dangerous. 

Tall  waving  palms  and   low  native   huts  were  sparsely 

scattered  along  the  coast,  and  for  miles  on  our  port, 

glowing   beneath    the    midday    sun    with    soft,    bright 

colors,   stretched   the   low   coral  beach.     We   had  the 

piano   brought   upon   deck  and^  from  that  day  on,  we 

were   never  wanting  for   a   song,    anthem,   or  even   a 

polka.     Besides,  at  every  meal  a  music  box,  of  almost 

endless  variety  of  selections,  lent  spirit  and  zest  to  the 

flowers,  fruit  and,  perhaps,  flavor  of  our  food.      Every 

evening  came  a   concert,  to  which  all  were  prevailed 

upon  to  contribute,  and  often  a  dance,  it  making  little 

dift'erence  whether  the  deck  were  level  or  at   an  angle 

of  forty-five  degrees.     All  was  as  innocent  and  harm- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD,  179 

less  as  child's  play,  and  helped  to  give  each  day  a  joy 
and  pleasant  memory.  We  had  a  Japanese  major  and 
his  general's  son  aboard  who,  like  myself,  preferred,  at 
the  dancing,  to  always  play  the  audience,  despite  the 
constant  protests  and  entreaties  brought  to  bear  against 
us.  Perched  high  upon  the  stern-wheel  box,  not  then 
in  use,  we  dined  on  the  fine  green-skinned  orange,  the 
mangosteen,  and  various  native  nuts,  pleasantly  over- 

.  looking  the  happy  crowd,  and  often  tempting  them  to 
stop  and  partake. 

Once,  while  so  seated  high  and  dry,  an  immense  sea 
struck  amidships  and  swept  the  rest  of  the  men, 
women  and  children,  like  twigs,  before  it  down  to  the 
opposite  rail,  where  only  the  stout  canvas  awning  saved 
them  from  a  watery  grave.     All  were  drenched.     My 

.  lady  friend  from  Paris,  Mrs.  Bienville,  her  daughter, 
her  daughter-in-law,  and,  yes,  Adele,  were  as  wet  as 
drowned  rats,  and  really  looked  about  as  attractive. 
Which,  or  how  many,  did  I  carry  below?  I  forget.  For 
days  ran  the  same  high  peaks  and  deep,  wide  valleys 
of  seething  water,  till  it  grew  calm  again,  and  seemed 
to  change  to  a  lighter  green  color.  A  silver-grey  owl 
from  the  African  shore,  no  doubt,  came  aboard  one 
night  and  perched  above  the  cabin  door. 

September  25,  we  reached  Aden,  the  great  coaling 
station  for  Australian  and  Eastern  steamers.  Now, 
again,  the  dug-out  canoe  appeared,  this  time  under 
control  of  bushy-haired  Africans  and  grey-haired  Arabs, 


180       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

some,  like  the  maiden  lady  of  America,   with   a  long 
curl  hanging  down  in  front  of  each  ear,  and  all  the  rest 
of  the  head  closely  shaved.     The  Somauli  from  Africa 
were  as  black  as  the  ace  of  spades,  slender  in  form, 
and  so  economical  in  clothing  as  to  wear  nothing  but 
a  medal  tied  to  the  waist  and  a  charm  of  snake-skin 
above  the  elbow.   Happy  Somauli,  marching  along  erect 
as  a  pole,  perfectly  unconscious  of  the  queer  figure  they 
were  cutting,  only  intent  on  selling  the  Frank  the  long, 
tin  roll   reefed   under  their  long,  lank  arms  !     In  that 
long  tin  of  about  two  inches  in  diameter,  they  shake 
out,  before  your  astonished  gaze,  the  finest,  whitest, 
and  downiest  ostrich  plumes  that  ever  gladdened  a 
maiden's  eye.    Arabs,  with  ibex  horns,  sword-fish  teeth, 
peacock  fans,  coral,  and  even  caramels  of  the  purest 
gum-arabic  and  sugar,  quickly  joined  the  throng.     The 
sight  of  their  cotton   dress-goods   reminds   me  that  I 
have  omitted  speaking  of  one  of  the  commonest  sights 
in  India,  and  especially  at  Madras.     It  is  the  native 
travelling  merchant  with  his  bundle  of  rich  embroidery 
and  artistic  designs   impossible  of  description.     Gold 
and  silver  thread  is  commonly  used  on  velvet,  silk,  and 
other  rich  fabrics.     Thousands  of  beetles'  wings,  hum- 
ming birds'  breasts,  and  glowing  insects,  are  in  this] way 
utilized,  and  made  to  produce  effects  possible  only  to 
the  Eastern  imagination.     The  only  criticism  I  would 
make,  and  a  fair  and  just  one,  is  the  want,  often,  of 
symmetry  and  grace  in  their  scrolls  and  vine  tracery. 


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IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  181 

Not  far  off  we  see  a  band  of  men,  with  long,  bushy 
hair   standing  ahnost  out   straight,    as   brown    as  the 
neighboring  camel  or  the  hot,  parched   hills  beyond. 
The  high  slopes  on  the  right  are  nude  of  vegetation, 
and  resembled  burnt  gunpowder.     They  probably  are 
of   volcanic  origin.     The  sun  is   intolerable,  and    the 
doctor  forbade   our  uncovering  the  head,  even  at  our 
meals.     Does   the  thermometer  falsify,  or  is  it    160'^? 
I    am    conscious    of    acute    pain,    as   though    a   knife 
were  entering  the  brain,  accompanied  with  a  strange, 
oiddy   sensation.      \\q.   pass   along  around   the  bend, 
away  to  the  north,  and  come  to  the  old  town  of  Aden. 
Opposite  some  queer,  low  buildings,  reminding  one  of 
a   ]\loorish   town,  is   a   square   literally  full  of  camels, 
some  from  Mecca,  some  from  Persia,     Some  are  rest- 
ing on  the  ground,  their  long  necks  stretched  at  full 
length  on  the  hot  sand.     Some  are  rising  with  a  long, 
guttural  groan,  as  if  in  protest  of  their  load.     Others 
are  harnessed  into  rude    two-wheeled    carts.      Every- 
thing but  the  houses  appears  to  be  suffering  in  the  heat. 
Then  on,  on   up  to  the  elaborate  and  costly  English 
water-works  nestling  high    among  the  hills,  and  then 
gladly  back  again.    Can  Sahara,  can  Satan  be  worse  ! 
How  mortals  can  exist  here,  say  nothing  of  enjoying 
life,  is  a  great  mystery.     They  wear  but  little  clothing, 
and  their  hair  is  so  dry  as  to  stand  quite  out  straight. 
This,  perhaps,  keeps  it  from  becoming  matted  and  warm. 
But  what  of  their  nerves  and  brain  ?    Is  there  an  ossifi- 


182       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

cation  of  the  one  and  the  absence  of  the  other  ?  And 
yet,  here  they  offer  for  sale  exquisite  workmanship  in 
sandal  and  oliv^e  woods ;  but  both  of  these  woods  come 
from  afar,  and  possibly  are  brought  here  for  sale.  The 
peacock-feather  fans,  so  prettily  gotten  up,  may  be 
native  work,  so  the  whitening  of  the  ostrich  feathers, 
but,  at  all  events,  you  get  a  sorry  idea  of  the  Arab,  as 
well  as  his  noted,  fleet  and  milk-white  steed,  from  this 
burnt,  forsaken  country. 

Later  on,  however,  I  saw  some  improvement,  but 
have  never  been  able  to  soar  to  a  poet's  view  of  Bedouin, 
Arab  or  Turk.  Here,  in  Arabia,  I  was  addressed  as 
"  Marster,"  (Master).  In  India,  as  ''  Sarb,"  (Sahib). 
Even  among  the  rascals  of  Egypt,  courteous  expres- 
sions were  as  abundant  as  fleas,  and  nearly  as  pleasant. 
As  in  India,  you  hear  a  strange,  reed-like  music,  and 
up  from  an  innocent-looking  basket  at  the  performer's 
side,  pops  into  your  very  face  a  wriggling  cabra,  or 
anaconda.  Aden  and  the  island  of  Perim  are  the 
English  strongholds  at  the  entrance  of  the  Red  Sea, 
but  the  strength  of  their  fortifications  is  not  apparent, 
though  full  in  sight.  The  water  is  clear  and  full  of 
fine  fish,  which,  with  some  of  the  finest  oysters  ever 
tasted,  helped  us  to  a  better  view  of  the  desolate 
town.  While  inspecting  a  Mecca  caravan,  I  found  some 
delicate  lace,  bead  and  fancy  work  equal  to  anything 
seen,   but    I    wonder   they  do    not   invent   something 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE  WORLD.  183 

more  appropriate  for  the  head  than  their  little,  sauce- 
pan caps  or,  worse  still,  the  massive  turban. 

Two  pretty  lights,  one  revolving  in  the  Northwest, 
guided  us  on  our  journey  out  of  this  port,  and  we  soon 
came  to  the  Somauli  Territory  in  Africa.  Flocks  of 
water-fowl  and  birds  kept  close  to  our  boat  until 
Massowah  was  reached.  This  was  connected  with  the 
late  Soudan  War,  in  which  Chinese  Gordon  lost  his  life. 
It  has  two  islands  near,  and  land  lay  on  our  port  side 
for  a  long  time.  The  whole  coast  along  Abyssinia,  Nubia 
and  Egypt,  is  pretty  much  the  same,  a  low  sandy  coast, 
with  high  barren  land  in  the  distance.  I  looked  in  vain 
for  any  claim  the  Red  Sea  might  have  to  its  name.  A 
little  red  coral,  a  few  red  weeds,  that  was  all.  During 
the  many  days  up  to  Suez,  during  which  I  coursed  its 
entire  length,  it  was  as  dark-blue  as  the  ocean,  and 
often  as  boisterous.  At  times,  however,  the  intense 
heat  from  the  great  deserts  on  either  hand  forced  the 
perspiration  from  every  pore,  and  kept  it  in  sheets 
upon  the  face,  even  when  a  strong  breeze  was  blowing. 
It  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  of  experiencing  the 
strange  sensation  of  feeling  a  breeze  without  the  least 
evaporation  or  cooling  effect.  It  was  more  like  having 
very  warm  spray  sent  gently  upon  you.  The  sun  each 
evening  sank  heavily  down  like  a  ball  of  molten  lead, 
but  the  nights  were  glorious.  Shower  after  shower  of 
sparkling  meteors  shot  dowm  the  clear,  blue  sky  and, 
bursting,  showered   the  air  with  brightest  green,  blue, 


184       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

and  red  refulgence.  Many  a  night,  from  here  to  Italy, 
the  planets  gradually  descended,  as  darkness  drew  on, 
until  they  seemed  like  red,  blue,  green,  and  yellowish- 
white  lights  swinging  low  on  silver  cords  and  sparkling 
in  an  atmosphere  of  pure  hydrogen.  Often  was  it 
repeated  in  Egypt  and  Palestine,  and  vividly  brought 
to  mind  the  night  when  the  star  arose  over  Bethlehem's 
plain.  We  saw  also,  here,  the  pelicans  of  the  wilder- 
ness, pursuing,  as  of  old,  the  even  tenor  of  their  way, 
in  long,  single  lines  against  the  sky.  Nor  must  I  for- 
get the  flocks  of  quail,  also  mentioned  in  the  Old 
Testament.     All  are  pleasant  reminders. 

Many  steamships  were  here  met,  as  the  Suez  Canal 
has  entirely  changed  the  line  of  commerce  East. 
Formerly  a  few  sluggish  daharbeahs  freighted  with 
wheat  or  grain  were  all  to  be  seen  in  the  whole  Red 
Sea.  Now  one  is  not  surprised  to  meet  a  dozen  of  the 
largest-sized  steamers  with  decks  crowded  with  people, 
and  hold  full  of  everything  the  earth  can  produce. 
Suakim  next  came  in  sight.  Here  Italian  men-of-war 
are  havingf  trouble  with  the  natives,  as  Italv  aims  at 
holding  this  place  at  all  hazards.  When  off  Mecca, 
the  sea  arose  in  all  its  might.  For  the  last  time  for 
days,  this  was  a  golden  opportunity  for  seasickness, 
and  every  moment  was  thus  industriously  improved. 
I  was  glad  of  a  change  and,  although  far  from  being 
sick,  I  got  my  share  of  the  bruises  and  bumps  inci- 
dental to  such  a  sea-frolic.     A  child  cries  loudly,  and 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  185 

turning,  I  see  its  father  has,  in  his  course  to  the  ves- 
sel's side,  forgotten  its  tender  youth  and  recklessly 
thrown  it  at  my  feet.  You  forgive  when  you  see  his 
lank  form  nearly  bent  double  in  his  involuntary  and 
frantic  attempts  at  relief.  That  father  and  child  were 
first  cousins.  I  laugh  at  it  now,  but  then  it  seemed  a 
queer  state  of  affairs  in  family  relations.  This  man 
had  an  aunt,  some  thirteen  years  his  senior,  but  really 
more  prepossessing,  and  as  she  was  so  good  as  to  have 
him,  they  were  married.  This  was  their  first  child, 
who  seemed  well  and  lusty  in  his  privilege  of  calling 
his  papa  "  dear  coz,"  and  his  mamma  "great  auntie." 

We  were  for  days  out  of  sight  of  land,  and  the  sky 
all  that  time  of  a  beautiful  silver-grey,  with  the  moon 
nearly  as  plainly  visible  by  day  as  at  night.  We  passed 
the  light  on  the  Two  Brothers,  when  we  were  not  far 
from  Medina  on  the  outside,  and  Assouan  on  the 
other.  Now  steamers  became  more  frequent,  and 
cheer  after  cheer,  amid  waving  of  handkerchiefs,  went 
up  from  many  a  glad  heart.  Soon  the  extreme  point 
of  Ras  Mohammed  on  the  Mt.  Sinai  Peninsula,  then  its 
high,  rugged,  barren  hills,  burst  into  view.  Next,  land 
of  Lower  Egypt  on  our  port  drew  equally  near.  Thus 
we  entered  the  Gulf  of  Suez,  on  the  extreme  north  of 
the  Red  Sea,  which  lay  under  the  rays  of  the  hot  sun 
like  burnished  silver.  With  glass  in  hand,  and  stead- 
fast gaze  to  the  northeast,  I  awaited  with  nervous 
anxiety  for  distant  mountain  heights. 


186       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

I  did  not  have  long  to  wait,  for  slowly  upon  the  ob- 
ject-glass grew  dim  outlines  of  mountain  peaks.  Above 
and  beyond  loomed  a  craggy  brow,  apparently  cleft  in 
twain.  No  sign  of  vegetation,  cedar,  vine,  or  palm. 
The  reflection  from  its  glistening,  arid  sides  caused 
my  glass  to  lower.  When  I  again  raised  it,  almost 
opposite,  grandly  towered  the  object  of  my  eager  antic- 
ipation. A  mountain  monarch  doubly  crowned,  in 
whose  deep  recesses  man  met  and  talked  with  the 
living  God.  Is  there  in  all  biblical  literature  an  object 
so  grand,  so  overwhelming !  The  Christian  thinks 
not.  One  of  the  leading  Episcopal  clergymen  of  India 
— one  who  entertained  Joseph  Cook  when  in  the  East 
— with  whom  I  w^as  then  travelling,  was  directly 
asked  by  me  if  he  sincerely  believed  that  Moses,  or  any 
other  man,  ever  actually  talked  with  his  Maker  here, 
answered:  "It  was  a  rare  spiritual  experience."  It 
matters  not  now  whether  it  was  more.  One  view  of  its 
sacred  peaks  is  worth  the  labor  of  a  life-time.  Though 
rent  by  earthquake  and  torn  by  lightning,  the  influence 
of  this  patriarchal  mount  is  ever  phenomenal.  "And 
all  the  people  saw  the  thunderings  and  the  lightnings 
and  the  noise  of  the  trumpet,  and  the  mountain  smok- 
ing ;  and  when  the  people  saw  it,  they  removed  afar 
off." 

The  captain  informed  me  that  the  base  of  Sinai  was 
forty-five  miles  distant,  but  when,  later,  we  undertook 
the  journey  to  the  wells  of   Moses,  where  only  a  shal- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  187 

low  pool  near  a  few  trees  remains,  despite  camel  and 
the  undulating  plains,  it  proved  a  wearisome  journey. 
The  wilderness,  so-called,  is  one  of  sand  or  brown, 
arid  soil,  where  nothing  but  the  tamarisk  cares  to  exist, 
not  one  of  trees  and  undergrowth.  Instead  of  two 
peaks,  as  it  appeared  from  the  sea,  we  found  three, 
each  one  of  which  has  its  claimants  as  being  the  true 
place  where  Moses  received  the  tablets  of  the  Law 
— Gebel  Mousa,  7359  feet,  Gebel  Sufsafeh,  and  Gebel 
Catherine.  A  stone  chapel  and  mosque  have  been 
built  on  Mt.  Mousa.  There  are  also  several  caves,  as 
the  high,  rocky  sides  are  rent  in  every  direction,  in  one 
of  which  Moses  may  have  hidden  when  the  "  Lord 
passed  by."  The  convent  of  St.  Catherine,  some  1300 
years  old  in  its  chapel,  at  least,  is  located  within  2,360 
feet  of  its  summit.  A  Campanile  and  Mohammedan 
mosque  stand  near.  The  ascent  was  so  difficult,  on 
account  of  the  intense  heat,  I  did  not  attempt  it.  A 
sheer  precipice,  3,000  feet  high,  of  solid  rock  seamed 
with  porphyry,  rose  discouragingly  on  the  right,  and 
hot,  rough  boulders  everywhere  else,  but  we  could  see 
the  Gulf  of  Akaba,  where  once  rode  the  fleet  of  Solo- 
mon, glistening  in  the  hot  sun,  in  the  east,  and  our 
own  blue  sea,  in  the  course  we  came,  to  the  west.  To 
see  the  convent  is  sufficient.  It  is  so  surrounded  with 
a  thick  and  high  wall,  that  the  inmates  are  always  safe 
from  theft,  robbery,  or  Bedouins.  It  has  still  in  ex- 
istence   and   in    use,   the    rude    windlass  for  hoisting 


188      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

objects  or  man  to  the  upper  and  outer  entrance  on  the 
walls,  once  so  common  in  fortified  places  in  the  East. 

The  water  is  so  shallow  at  Suez,  that  for  four  miles 
one  can  wade  at  low  tide  without  danger  of  drowning, 
unless  the  tide,  as  is  said  in  the  case  of  the  Egyptian 
pursuers  of  Moses,  suddenly  returns,  when  even  now 
you  would  drown  if  you  could  not  swim.  Suez  sits 
quaintly  on  a  gentle  rise  out  of  a  vast  sandy  plain. 
Between  her  and  the  long  ridge  of  sharp  hills  south  is 
the  level  plain  where  Moses  divided  the  waters  and 
passed  over  dry-shod.  The  opposite  side,  up  to  the 
wells  of  Moses,  is  a  barren  waste.  Some  claim  the 
place  of  crossing  a  little  above,  but  it  does  not  matter. 
As  you  look  at  Suez,  it  would  seem  that  one  shot  from 
our  gun  would  drive  out  her  entire  population,  like 
ants  from  an  ant-hill.  The  English  have  a  garrison  here, 
as  they  also  have  at  Alexandria  and  Cairo.  Nothing 
impresses  one  in  the  East,  especially  in  Turkish  and 
Egyptian  territory,  like  the  peaceful  beauty  of  the  towns 
and  cities.  Afar  off,  they  appear  raised  suddenly  out 
of  the  ground  as  by  a  magician's  wand.  The  dome  and 
minaret  are  never  wanting,  and  seldom  the  high 
whitish  wall,  and  long  winding  road  up  to  the  open 
gateway.  Bathed  in  the  morning  or  evening  sun,  they 
seem  ethereal.  But  not  to  spoil  the  pleasant  picture 
we  will  remain  afar  off,  the  farther  the  better,  perhaps, 
if  the  view  is  not  lost. 

A  mile  or  so  out  from  Suez  is  Port  Ibrahim,   from 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD. 


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190       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

which  a  train  now  runs  to  Cairo,  This  place  is 
the  southern  terminus  of  the  celebrated  Suez  Canal, 
A  few  feet  south  are  two  lights,  one  red,  the  other 
green.  These,  upon  their  firm  pedestals,  mark  its  en- 
trance. No  steamer  is  allowed  to  sail  through  at 
night  without  an  electric  light  high  on  her  forecastle. 
One  Sunday  morning,  at  8  A,  M.,  we  entered  here  on 
our  way  to  the  Mediterranean,  As  we  advanced,  the 
water  rose  and  fled  ahead  of  us,  while  that  behind 
rushed  headlong  after.  In  places,  it  seemed  hardly 
possible  to  insert  one's  body  between  the  vessel  and 
bank,  but,  as  we  slowly  glided  along,  we  soon  came  to 
a  station  where  the  canal  opened  to  sufficient  width  to 
admit  the  passing  of  an  opposite  steamer.  None  but 
steamers  are  to  be  seen.  Sailing  vessels  still  round 
Cape  Good  Hope.  These  stations  are  but  turn-outs, 
and  of  no  great  length.  Here  was  ancient  Arsinoe 
or  Cleopatris,  the  old  terminus  of  the  ancient  canal 
from  Cairo  constructed  600  B.  C.  to  carry  grain  to 
Mecca.  There  is  now  a  canal  from  Suez  to  the  Nile, 
which  supplies  the  town  with  fresh  water.  For  centu- 
ries, before  it  was  built,  they  had  been  obliged  to  bring 
it  in  goatskins  from  the  wells  of  Moses  miles  below. 

A  caravan  of  camels,  on  the  old  trail  from  Cairo  to 
Mecca,  are  waiting  for  us  to  pass,  as  we  near  the  first 
bridge  of  boats.  Two  of  the  boats  are  soon  replaced 
behind  us  and,  like  so  many  awkward  turtles,  with  head 
and   neck  outstretched,   they  slowly  wend  their  way 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  191 

southward.     Nothing   but   sand,    as   unbroken   as   the 
ocean,  lies  before  and  on   either  side  of  them.     They 
carry  tents,  cooking  utensils,  bedding  and  food,  besides 
their  merchandise.     Speaking  from   experience,  jour- 
neying by  camel  is   pleasanter   when  done   in  the  glow 
of  imajrination  —  and  by  your  fireside.     If  you  are  of 
a  sensitiye  nature,  you  will  not  feel,    after  once  seeing 
his  ugly  head  and  lips  thrust  out  right  before  your  eyes 
Avith  a  groan  too  suggestiye  of  the   stomach-ache  to  be 
borne  heroically,  much  like   again   mounting  his  awk- 
ward carcass.     He  does  not  lie  down  like  the  horse  or 
cow.      His  long  hind  legs  rest  on  the  inner  side  of  his 
haunches.     Eyen  when  you  are  coaxins;  him  to  assume 
that  desirable  position,  so  as  to  saye  a  month  or  two  of 
precious  time  trying  to  crawl  up   his  irregular  sides, 
he  so   reluctantly  complies   and  with   so  loud  a  com- 
plaint, that  you  dread  to  mount.     No  sooner  mounted, 
than  up  pop  his  hind  quarters,  just  as  you  haye  become 
conyinced  that  it  would  surely  be  his  fore,  and  had 
bent  forward   accordingly,  and  lays  your  tender  cheek 
loyingly  —  and    embrace,   too,  —  upon   its    long,   dirty 
neck,  and  you  are  sayed  from  complete   somerset  and 
disgrace,  only  by   a  sudden    upward  jerk  of  his  front. 
With  purple  face  and  bated  breath,  you  may  then  coax 
the  beast  to  start.     No  sooner  started,  than  you  repent 
your  imprudence,  for  the  first  step  once  taken,  you  are 
set  into   a  backward  and  forward  oscillation  about  as 
congenial  to  your  poor  frame  as  an  undeseryed  shaking 


192       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

from  a  zealous    but  near-sighted   school    mistress,   in 
childhood. 

But  the  long  line  of  "ships  of  the  desert"  gradually 
fades    away  in    the  distance,   so   let   us  return  to  the 
canal.     Ferdinand   Lesseps  was   not  the   first  to  plan 
this  water-way.     No  less  a  person  than  Napoleon  Bon- 
aparte had    it    surveyed  years  before.      And    it    is    a 
singular  fact,  that  Louis   Napoleon,  when  in   exile   in 
America,  planned  a  like  one  in  Nicaragua.      The  Suez 
is  more  properly  a  water-way  than  a  canal,  as  it  has 
iieither  locks,  reservoirs,  pumping  engines,   or   gates, 
but  in  its  entire   length  of  eighty-eight  miles,  its  level 
is  barely  disturbed,  except  from  the   Bitter  Lakes    to 
Suez,  where  there  is  a  slight  change,  from  one  to  five 
feet,  on  account  of  the  tide.     Before  its  construction, 
the  old  lakes  had  fallen  to  little  better  than  valleys  of 
salty  sand,  but  when  the  Mediterranean    was    let    in 
during  the   winter  of   1869,   Lakes   Menzaleh,  Timsah 
and,  later  in  the  following  summer,  the  water  from  the 
Red  Sea,  Little  and   Great  Bitter   Lakes   became   well 
filled.     Sweet  water  is  conducted  from  the  Nile  along 
its   entire   course.     Every  five  or  six  miles  come  the 
stations   or  turnouts.     These  have  a  signal  station,  a 
small  cottage  surrounded  often    with  date    palm  and 
shrubbery,  all  in  the  care  of  the  canal  servants.    The  en- 
tire route  is  regulated  by  telegraph,  from  Port  Said  on 
the  north  to  Suez  on   the  south.     Its  original  cost  was 
$100,000,000  which,   of  course,  must  be  short  of   the 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD,  193 

real  sum,  from  the  fact  that  at  one  time  30,000  Arabs 
and  Egyptians  were  forced  into  service  by  Mahomet 
Said  Pasha,  the  Viceroy  of  Egypt.  His  successor, 
Ismail  Pasha,  refused  to  comply  with  the  terms  of 
his  brother  Mahomet.  The  matter  was  left  out  to 
arbitration,  by  which  the  Viceroy  was  compelled  to 
pay  the  Canal  Company  $15,800,000.  As  the  canal 
was  begun  in  i860,  I  think  it  must  have  been  in  1863 
w'hen  this  trouble  arose.  It  resulted  in  the  permanent 
withdrawal  of  conscript  labor,  and  occasioned  the  use 
of  modern  machinery,  such  as  is  now  being  used  in 
the  present  widening,  agreed  upon  in  1886. 

Its  depth  is  intended  to  be  26  feet,  and,  when  fully 
widened,  the  width  72  feet  at  least.  No  rock,  except 
a  little  of  soft  nature  at  Ismalia,  where  there  is  a  slight 
elevation,  was  met  with  the  whole  distance,  the  rest 
being  either  level  sand  plain  or  lake  bed.  Sixty-six  of 
the  eighty-eight  miles  were  excavated,  fourteen  miles 
were  dredged  out,  and  eight  miles  needed  no  labor. 
By  its  construction,  the  distance  between  India  and 
Western  Europe  is  reduced  from  11,379  ^*^  7,628 
miles,  and  when  you  consider  the  great  number  of 
large  vessels  and  the  saving  of  weeks  of  valuable  time, 
you  begin  to  realize  its  vast  importance.  I  think  the 
rate  per  net  ton  on  each  vessel  entering  this  water- 
way is  a  little  above  $1.50.  We  had  obtained  at  Suez 
some  grapes,  apples  and  cherries.  The  first  were  deli- 
cious,   like    the    Persian    we  had  in   Arabia,    but    the 


194       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

cherries  were  like  apples,  and  the  apples  quite,  in  flavor 
and  hardness,  like  our  New  England  quince.     Looking 
over  the  permit  our  French  commandant  had   received 
to  pass  through,  I    found  it   was   in  English,  indicating 
that    England  still  holds   her   control.     This  was  cor- 
roborated by  the  English  garrison  at  each  end,  and  the 
appearance   of  Englishmen   at  the   numerous  turnouts 
or  stations.     A  telegraph  line,  on  iron  and  stone  posts, 
runs  along  the   western    side,  and   little   marks  of  iron 
and  stone,  numbered,  are  placed  at  equal  distances  on 
each   side.     A   railway,  at   some  distance   on  the   left, 
runs  to  Ismalia,  and  then  turns  west  and  runs  down  to 
Cairo.     At  a  short  distance  up,  we  came  to  one  of  the 
queer  dwellings  to  be  found  everywhere  in  Arabia  and 
Palestine.     Its  walls,  some   eight  feet  high,  were  built 
of  loose  stone.     Its  roof  was  of  tamarisk  branches  and 
roots,  and  its  one  opening  served  both  for  doorway  and 
window.     An  aged   Arab  woman,  two  bright  little   ur- 
chins and  two   camels  were  at  home,  but  we  passed  on 
despite  the  loud  invitations  to  call  and  share  our  back- 
sheesh.    For  a  long  distance  the  little  boy  and  girl  ran 
eagerly  by  our   side,    begging  for  food,  until  some  dry 
bread   and  vegetables  from   the   cook  were   cast  over- 
board in  their  direction,  which   quickly  stopped  their 
clamorous  chase. 

,  What  these  Arabs  do  for  food  and  drink  is  a  mys- 
tery. Those  having  camels  and  goats  can  get  along, 
but  how  about  the  camel  and  goat?     On  either  side,  as 


/A'  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  195 

far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  stretch  those  plains  of  dreary 
sand,  three  grains  of  which  will  change  a  glass  of 
fresh  water  quickly  into  salt.  It  is  evident  that  some 
time,  if  not  in  the  time  of  Noah,  these  vast  plains 
were  beneath  the  sea.  Even  now,  at  times,  the  eye 
catches  a  glimpse  of  fields  of  yellowish-white  salt. 
Now  and  then,  as  in  Ceylon,  fair  deposits  of  kaolin 
also  crop  out.  V\'e  soon  came  to  another  bridge  of 
four  boats,  and  another  caravan  of  camels  bound  for 
Syria  in  waiting.  An  oasis  with  olive,  date,  and  other 
trees  around  a  dwelling,  could  be  seen  in  the  distance. 
Arabs  in  row-boats  were  catching  a  long  silvery  fish, 
and  others  thronged  around  with  plump  red  dates,  too 
beautiful  to  look  at.  At  gare-stone  49,  40  or  50  camels 
with  wooden  boxes  or  cars  on  their  backs,  were  busily 
engaged  in  carrying  away  the  banks  included  in  the 
Cairo  side  widening.  Each  Arab  had  charge  of  from 
three  to  four  animals.  They  were  a  strange  sight,  with 
dark,  gloomy  faces  beneath  the  universal  large  white 
turban,  the  scant  blue  cotton  dress,  and  bare  legs  and 
feet,  actively  mingling  with  the  awkward,  cloven-footed 
and  long-necked  beasts,  throwing  in  the  sand  on  their 
recumbent  bodies,  pulling  fiercely  at  their  single  rein 
for  them  to  rise,  or  noisily  shouting  to  get  them  to  back 
around.  Each  beast,  on  arrival,  was  backed  about, 
like  a  horse  in  a  cart,  and  made  to  kneel.  When  he 
went  down,  he  went  down  as  though  his  legs  had  sud- 
denly been  knocked  out  from  under  him,  and  with  such 


196       PLEAS  A  NT  HO  URS  IN  S  UNNY  LA  NDS, 

a  woe-begone  appearance  you  little  expected  a  rise 
again  even  without  his  heavy  load  of  sand.  There 
they  were,  constantly  falling  and  rising,  at  each  at- 
tempt to  rise  sticking  out  their  uncouth  lips  and  dis- 
mally groaning  as  in  strong  protest. 

Farther  on  a  similar  band  was  engaged  in  the  same 
occupation,  and  still  further  on  mules  were  operating 
a  little  tramway  of  iron  boxes,  like  those  Lesseps  is 
now  trying  to  use  on  his  Panama  Canal.  To  the  slow 
camel,  a  ride  on  an  empty  car  drawn  by  a  frisky  mule 
is  a  great  event  to  the  wild  Arab.  He  is  yet  to  learn 
of  the  mighty  lightning  latent  therein.  "  Fwoin  baste  ! 
fwoia  baste  !  "  but  as  the  Irishman  was  sadly  and  pain- 
fully picking  himself  up  a  minute  later,  he  was  heard 
muttering  between  his  set  teeth,  "  Th-a-a  ow-l-ld  divil ! " 
It  will  be  a  revelation  to  "  Pharaoh  "  when  it  comes. 
He  will  not  only  marvel  at  such  hidden  activity  but 
will  quickly  let  "Israel"  go. 

After  proceeding  a  little  further,  we  came  up  with 
the  SS.  Pelican,  in  moorings.  We  put  out  hawser 
fore  and  aft,  and  soon  were  moored  also.  We  were  fol- 
lowed by  the  Telamon,  so  that  three  large  ocean  steamers 
now  lay  moored  to  the  left  shore.  Looking  up  at  the 
signals,  I  saw  that  several  balls  and  pennons  were 
warning  us  ot  approaching  vessels.  As  the  canal  is 
now  and  then  obstructed  by  a  curve,  it  is  not  possible 
to  see  but  a  few  hundred  feet.  The  sand  dunes  here, 
made  by  the  original  excavations,  also  increased  the 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  197 

obstruction.  We  had  now  passed  both  Little  and  Great 
Bitter  Lakes  and  the  old  Cairo  canal.  After  several 
large  steamers  had  passed,  we  went  on  to  Lake  Timsah, 
which,  though  ver}-  shallow,  is  quite  large.  Here  the 
channel  curves  around  between  buoys  and  lights.  Isma- 
lia  appears,  with  green  trees,  Lesseps's  chalet,  and  sev- 
eral respectable-looking  buildings,  while  a  little  apart 
rises  the  brown  and  plainly  outlined  summer  residence 
of  the  present  Khedive.  A  little  steam-launch  pays  us 
several  short  visits,  leaving  and  taking  passengers  and 
exchanging  pilots.  Where  we  leave  the  lake,  the 
passage  is  very  narrow  and  the  sides  more  elevated 
than  elsewhere  on  the  whole  canal.  I  might  have 
taken  a  train  here  for  Cairo,  or  caravan  for  Palestine, 
but  I  could  not  go  home  without  seeing  the  entire 
canal,  so  went  on.  Here,  as  on  the  Xile,  were  plenty 
of  bull-rushes,  but  not  a  single  Moses  or  Pharoah's 
daughter.  Sometimes  you  see  th^  tamarisk  and  some- 
thing like  cypress,  which  are  cut  and  woven  into  a 
protection  for  the  banks  of  the  canal,  as  in  some  places, 
as  our  motion  sent  the  water  rushing  up  the  sand,  large 
masses  of  earth  would  break  off  and  fall  back  into  the 
channel.  Planks,  too,  and  imported  stones  are  used 
for  the  same' purpose.  About  here  we  saw.  on  the  left, 
quite  a  town  with  a  few  fine  houses  and  one  mosque. 
It  was  El  Guisr.  Boys  and  girls  ran  along  the  barks, 
begging  for  backsheesh  and  food,  which  they  seldom 
got  unless  they  swam  for  it,  which  they  often  did  as 


198       PLEA SA NT  HO URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

eagerly  as  dogs.     The  girls  wore   large   earrings   and 
bracelets,  which  rattled  loudly  as  they  walked  or  ran. 

At  sunset,  upon  a  distant  elevation,  peacefully  stood 
a  dozen  camels  beautifully  outlined  against  the  golden 
sky.  Only  one  tall  date-palm,  with  a  few  Arab  tents, 
seemed  to  relieve  the  view.  As  a  picture  of  simple, 
joyous  and  peaceful  content,  it  was  an  ideal.  That 
night  we  moored  and  passed,  in  the  canal.  The  great 
desert  spread  out  on  either  side.  Not  a  bird  or  beast 
disturbed  the  strange  solitude.  All  was  as  quiet  as 
the  grave.  The  moon  and  stars  came  slowly  out  and 
turned  the  sand  fields  and  banks  into  a  mass  of  glis- 
tening gems.  To  think  was  as  easy  as  to  breathe. 
The  mind  seemed  inspired,  the  heart  aglow  with  feel- 
ing. Music,  dancing,  and  merry  laughter  suddenly 
broke  out  on  the  still  night,  and  soon  the  very  banks 
were  covered  with  groups  of  merry  makers.  Round 
and  round,  beneath  the  full,  bright  moon,  whirred  rings 
of  joyous  people,  some  in  one  direction  some  in  an- 
other, until  of¥  they  burst  in  a  wild  chase  inland. 
Many  of  us  were  content  with  a  quiet  walk  along  the 
canal,  and  had  a  friend  not  lost  a  heavy  gold  bracelet, 
which  obliged  our  return  in  search,  we  might  have  out- 
walked the  moon.  Fortune  at  last  favored  us  in  the 
finding,  but  as  we  were  near  the  boat,  we  went  no 
farther.  The  next  morning,  until  8  o'clock,  a  thick 
fog  environed  us,  so  we  lost  several  precious  hours  in 
inactivity.     A  few  spent  the  time  in  fishing,  and  drew 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  199 

aboard  many  a  pretly  little  fellow,  all  gold  and  silver, 
like  those  in  the  tropics.  A  man  came  aboard  with  a 
large  iiock  of  speckled  quail  from  the  wilderness  of 
Sinai.  I  also  saw  some  cacti  growing  wild.  When 
under  way,  the  next  station  had  a  bright,  pretty  dwell- 
ing, some  red  flowers  and  a  date-palm.  At  the  next, 
at  stone  24,  houses  appeared  on  both  sides  of  the 
canal,  and  on  the  right  a  garrison  of  soldiers.  There 
also  was  a  postotfice,  from  which  a  small  steamer  car- 
ried and  distributed  the  mail.  We  now  came  to  Men- 
zaleh  Lake  or  sea,  through  which  the  canal  was  orig- 
inally laid  out  as  indicated  by  the  dotted  lines  on  the 
map,  but  now  divided  by  so'id  earth-banks  thrown  up 
by  the  dredges.  We  now  passed  one  of  the  Anchor 
Line  fast  aground,  but  still  had  the  double  passenger- 
decked  Orient,  from  Australia,  just  ahead,  and  three 
other  large  steamers  behind. 

While  awaiting  downward  steamers,  another  caravan 
of  camels  passed.  This  was  the  sixth  I  had  seen  in 
less  than  two  days.  At  this  stop  four  steamers  passed, 
one  German,  one  French,  and  two  English.  At  sta- 
tion or  gare  opposite  post  7,  there  were  three  neat 
buildings,  two  date  trees,  and,  away  in  the  distance, 
another  caravan  preparing  to  encamp  for  the  night. 
Just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  in  the  west,  a  loud  bugle- 
call  came  down  upon  the  quiet  air  with  an  effect  most 
startling,  followed  quickly  by  a  boom  of  cannon,  then 
still  another  call.     We  had  reached  the  Mediterranean. 


200      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Right  before  us,  on  the  left,  was  a  small  group  of 
houses  and  many  large  docks  crowded  with  shipping. 
From  an  Italian  man-of-war,  or  its  English  neighbor, 
probably  the  latter,  had  come  that  startling  martial 
sound.  There  were  thirty  or  more  steamers  here,  and 
long  lines  of  coal  lighters,  illuminated  by  torches,  were 
winding  in  and  out  supplying  them  with  coal.  Just  as 
we  came  out,  an  immense  Australian  steamship,  with  its 
hurricane  deck  literally  packed  with  men,  women,  and 
children,  slowly  passed.  Most  of  the  people  were 
neatly  dressed  and  happily  engaged  in  household  and 
Sunday-school  songs.  It  was  an  impressive  sight. 
So  many  leaving  home  and  friends  for  an  untried 
country,  hardship,  sickness  and  possibly  death ! 

This  is  Port  Said,  and  the  Mediterranean,  at  last. 
It  overlooks  the  sea,  with  a  high  ornamental  light- 
house on  the  right,  and  a  long  breakwater,  like  a  huge 
serpent,  running  back  to  the  land.  I  looked  behind  me. 
Four  immense,  dazzling  white  lights  were  slowly  bear- 
ing down  from  the  canal  directly  upon  us,  like  heavenly 
bodies  broken  loose  from  the  sky.  They  were  the 
electric  eye  of  night,  without  which  no  boat  in  the 
canal  is  allowed  to  advance.  We  immediately  went 
ashore.  Several  fair  hotels  were  found,  but  what  I 
wanted  most,  a  boat  for  Jaffa,  or  old  Joppa  of  Paul's 
time,  was  wanting.  Some  Arabs  offered  to  take  me 
over  in  a  sail  boat,  but,  not  liking  their  appearance,  I 
concluded  to  go  on  to  Alexandria,   where  my   wants 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  201 

would  be  readily  met.  So  on  we  went,  soon  striking 
into  the  muddy-colored  water  of  the  eastern  delta  of  the 
NilC:  For  miles  you  can  look  out  before  you  and  see 
its  irregular  line  of  demarkation  from  the  pretty  blue 
of  the  rest  of  the  Mediterranean.  A  fresh  breeze 
started  up  and  drove  away  the  many  flies  that  had 
hovered  about  the  vessel  in  the  canal.  Early  the  next 
morning,  we  again  fell  in  with  a  broad  expanse  of  yel- 
lowish-green water,  which  told  me  that  we  were  oppo- 
site the  western  mouth  of  the  Nile.  Plenty  of  native 
sail-boats,  but  only  one  steamer,  dotted  the  water. 

Soon  after  passing  the  yellowish  sea  border,  Alexan- 
dria came  gradually  into  view.  High  land,  with  forts 
and  palaces,  was  backed  by  a  large  dome  to  the  south. 
Large  breaks  in  the  walls  appeared  in  ever}-  direction, 
showing  that  the  late  English  bombardment  had  been 
no  mere  child's  play.  The  Khedive's  palace,  with  its 
plain,  smooth  walls  and  quaint  Moorish  architecture, 
soon  disclosed  itself  behind  a  breakwater  and  light- 
house, then  a  dismantled  fort  on  the  west  of  the  chan- 
nel which  leads  up  to  the  inner  harbor  and  docks. 
A  pretty  ^Mohammedan  mosque,  in  an  unfinished  state, 
lies  a  little  farther  to  the  west.  I  was  told  it  had 
lain  in  that  condition  for  some  time,  and  it  would  never 
be  completed,  as  it  was  their  custom  to  stop  all  work 
on  an  edifice  of  religious  nature  on  the  death  of  the 
Khedive  who  begins  the  work.  I  take  another  look  at 
the   Kedive's   palace,  for  there   it  was  that  Arabi  and 


202       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNiYY  LANDS, 

his  followers  demanded  the  abdication  of  their  ruler, 
and  attempted  his  assassination.  An  English  garrison 
stands  close  at  hand,  and  many  a  trace  of  shot  and 
shell  are  still  observed  in  the  neighborhood.  Pompey's 
Pillar,  away  up  on  an  elevation  in  the  distance,  caught 
my  eye  before  I  had  hardly  thought  of  its  present  exist- 
ence. As  soon  as  we  ceased  to  move,  the  same  pell- 
mell  rush,  as  in  the  East,  but  more  annoying,  after  our 
freight  and  passengers  again  began.  It  was  a  tug-of- 
war.  Arabs,  Turks,  Greeks,  Montenegrins,  and  what 
not,  pulled,  pushed,  and  made  boisterous  capture. 
Did  I  know^  Admiral  Franklin  t — this  swarthy  fellov/ 
was  once  in  the  United  States  Navy — and  other  less 
gentle  reminders  that  he  was  the  guide  for  me,  and  if 
one  were  humored,  a  dozen  crowded  around  and 
menaced  him  to  leave,  and  so  on.  If  there  were  ever 
a  Babel,  surely  Alexandria  is  one.  I  shook  them  all 
off;  would  have  tumbled  the  w^hole  lot  overboard  if  I 
had  possessed  the  strength  ;  and  went  on  shore  wdth  the 
officers  of  the  Volga,  on  the  company's  steam-launch. 
Those  w^io  caught  hold  of  my  companions  were 
promptly  and  soundly  kicked,  for  as  we  went  down  the 
outside  gangway,  the  natives  caught  hold  of  our  cloth- 
ing and  tried  to  drag  us  into  their  boats.  It  was  a 
good  lesson,  for  it  made  me  keep  on  my  guard  every- 
w^here  I  went  in  this  strange  land.  The  French  are 
loud  and  earnest  in  their  condemnation  of  the  English 
in    their  policy  in    Egypt,   and    regard   the    latter    as 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  203 

having  no  higher  motive  than  to  squeeze  the  country 
dry  and  then  throw  it  rudely  away.  As  I  was  having 
my  baggage  examined,  it  was  suggested  more  than 
once,  that  a  fee  to  the  official  would  save  delav  and 
trouble,  and  to  my  surprise,  I  often  saw  it  done.  For 
myself,  however,  it  seemed  so  dishonest,  I  always  re- 
fused. The  streets,  from  the  docks  up  to  the  square, 
have  sidewalks,  but  through  the  market  which  I  vis- 
ited to  view  the  native  grains  and  fruit,  the  middle  of 
the  street  was  thronged,  with  merchants,  dealers,  buy- 
ers and  passers-by.  Graceful  and  noble  looking  women 
with  veiled  faces,  a  queer  ring  and  bar  lattice  over 
their  shapely  noses,  and  long  ear-rings,  wide  bracelets, 
anklets,  and  long  rows  of  conv^ex  silver  disks  strung 
across  the  forehead,  merrily  jingling  in  the  air, 
erect  as  queens,  crowd  you  on  every  side  with  urns, 
vases  and  receptacles  of  every  kind  and  material  on 
the  head  or  in  the  hand. 

By  chance  you  catch  a  glimpse  of  large,  solemn  black 
eyes  beneath  the  veil  which  feminine  curiosity  or  a 
chance  breeze  has  brushed  aside.  Of  course  you  here 
can  gaze  at  a  woman  straight  in  the  eye,  if  you  wish. 
You  get  about  as  much  pleasure  by  so  doing  as  in 
staring  at  an  empty  negro  mask  at  home.  The  men 
and  boys  are  dressed  in  all  styles  imaginable,  but  usu- 
ally in  a  way  approaching  their  different  native  cos- 
tumes.    Both  in  Cairo  and  Alexandria  besides  Arabs, 


204       PLEASANT  HOURS  IiY  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Greeks   and   Montenegrins,  there    are    many    French, 
Germans  and  Italians. 


AN    EGYPTIAN    WOMAN    AND    CHILD. 

I  found  the  square,  where  the  European  families 
stood  siege  and  were  so  cruelly  butchered,  rebuilding 
on  a  grander  scale  than  ever  before.     A  large  eques- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  205 

trian  statue  of  one  of  their  heroes  ornaments  the  east- 
erly section.  A  funeral,  with  all  on  foot  and  an 
immense  catafalque  covered  and  borne  by  men,  passed 
before  me  as  I  entered.  One  of  the  queerest  and  most 
laughable  sights  are  the  little  donkeys  trotting  along 
the  streets,  belabored  from  behind  by  shouting  donkey 
boys  or  drivers.  The  poor  animal,  pegging  along 
with  two  hundred  pounds  of  European  beef-eater  on 
its  weak  back,  reminds  one  of  a  toad  under  a  harrow. 
Alexandria  was  for  years  the  capital  of  Egypt,  and 
from  the  fourth  century  before  Christ  to  the  seventh 
century  after,  it  was  the  seat  of  literature  and  learning 
in  the  whole  East.  The  famous  Pharos,  planned  by 
Dinocrates,  who  rebuilt  the  temple  of  Diana  at  Ephe- 
sus,  stood  400  feet  high,  not  far  northeast  of  Fort 
Ada,  the  Harem  and  the  Palace. 

After  Ptolemy  Alexander  gave  the  city  to  the  Ro- 
mans, it  was  regarded  the  chief  city  in  the  world  next 
to  Rome.  On  its  capture  by  Omar,  every  effort  was 
made  to  save  its  large  and  valuable  librar}-,  then  the 
largest  in  the  world,  but  in  vain.  "If  the  books  con- 
tain the  same  doctrine  as  the  Koran,  they  are  unnecss- 
sary,  and  if  contrary  doctrines,  they  surely  must  be 
destroyed,"  said  that  worthy.  So  books,  requiring 
years  of  study  and  self-sacrificing  toil,  were  distributed 
about  the  city  and  used  for  fuel.  Pompey's  Pillar,  a 
single  shaft  of-  red  granite,  73  feet  long,  and  29  feet 
8  inches  around,  rises  from  a  mound  in  the  old  part 


206       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

of  the  city  40  feet  high.  It  has  a  capital  in  the  Corin- 
thian style  9  feet  high,  and  a  base,  making  its  net 
height  about  99  feet.  It  was  once  surmounted  by  a 
statue  of  the  Roman  Emperor  Diocletian,  and  its  tab- 
let informs  you  that  the  whole  was  erected  in  his 
honor.  The  city,  before  the  opening  of  the  Suez 
Canal,  was  of  great  importance,  from  the  fact  that  the 
Eastern  and  Australian  steamers  ran  up  the  Red  Sea 
to  Suez,  and  there  landed  passengers,  mail  and  freight 
to  be  transported  hither  by  rail  for  shipment ;  but  now 
only  a  very  few  passengers  come  that  way,  and  no  for- 
eign freight. 

The  catacombs,  hewn  out  of  soft  rock,  are  located 
in  the  old  part  near  the  mosque,  and  some  large  stone 
wind-mills,  unseen  outside  of  Holland.  Near  by  is  an 
elevation  with  a  grove  of  date-palms.  The  latter  were 
so  tempting  I  could  not  help  lingering,  long  gazing  up 
the  slim  trunks  rising  sixty  feet  into  the  sky,  and 
admiring  the  long  clusters  of  rich,  red  dates  heavily 
drooping  downward.  The  pendant  fruit,  in  general 
appearance,  looks  like  an  immense  barberry  cluster, 
although  the  depth  and  shade  of  color  is  quite  unlike. 
In  Arabia  I  had  plucked  the  fruit  when  turning  from 
yellowish-green  to  this  ripe  red,  and  held  them  up  to 
the  sun.  The  sweet  juices  were  plainly  seen  grouping 
and  crystalizing  into  sugar.  This  experiment  was 
generally  quickly  followed  by  a  sudden  movement 
mouthward,  and   all   was   soon   over.     Ah,  how  I  miss 


/X  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  207 

those  gurgling  juices  !  For  the  first  time  in  all  my 
long  journey,  I  found  the  Bank  of  England  note  at  3 
per  cent  discount,  and  English  and  American  gold 
nearly  the  same.  The  brokers  here  sit  out  on  the  street 
before  a  low  cabinet,  in  which  they  keep  their  queer 
collections  of  money,  and  transact  business  as  though 
it  were  but  a  peanut  stand.  Of  the  coin,  I  can  only 
remember  the  mejideh,  a  large  silver  coin  of  the  size 
of  our  dollar,  the  piastre,  silver  like  our  dime,  para, 
and  a  lot  of  other  copper  coins  from  the  size  of  our 
dollar  down  to  the  old  half-cent. 

Having  viewed  the  town,  we  went  down  to  the  south- 
west end  for  the  train,  and  I  was  soon  bowlins;  alons^ 
up  the  Nile  to  Cairo,  about  five  hours'  ride,  or  150 
miles  by  rail.  We  were,  at  first,  impressed  with  the 
similarity  between  this  city  and  Alexandria.  Mounds 
of  rubbish  disfigure  its  otherwise  picturesque  exterior. 
A  massive  citadel  in  the  southern  part  stands  in  place 
of  the  great  dome  in  the  centre  of  new  Alexandria, 
and  the  narrow,  crooked  streets  and  mud  houses  of 
both  cities  are  identical;  but,  on  the  whole,  I  liked 
both  this  city  and  its  mixed  or  varied  population  much 
better.  It  has  several  wide  streets,  and  the  one  over 
which  we  drove  to  the  pyramids  was  well  shaded  by 
acacia  and  sycamore  trees.  An  iron  bridge  here 
spans  the  Nile,  and  if  one  has  no  desire  to  go  into  the 

1 

suburbs  beyond  Bulak,  he  can   now  do  so  with  a  little 
comfort  and  pleasure.     A  large  part  of  the  capital  has 


208       PLEA SA NT  HO  URS  IN  S UNNY  L A NDS, 

of  late  been  improved,  so  that  it  looks  as  well  as  any- 
European  city.  The  English  have  garrisons,  a  perma- 
nent colony  and  a  church,  and  the  Germans  have  all 
but  the  garrison,  but  the  Mohammedans  outnumber  all 
other  people  and  religious  sects  two  to  one,  and  have 
about  400  mosques,  which  add  a  picturesque  effect  to 
the  whole  city  that  would  be  impossible  to  obtain  in 
any  other  way. 

The  citadel  rises  250  feet  above  the  streets,  and  is 
said  to  have  been  built  by  Saladin  in  1166.  This  con- 
tains a  mosque  of  Oriental  alabaster,  and  a  palace 
built  by  Mahomet  Ali.  In  this  section  of  the  city 
rises  its  most  beautiful  edifice,  the  Mosque  of  Sultan 
Hasan.  It  was  built  in  1357,  and  bewilders  the  eye 
with  the  grandeur  of  its  arches  and  cornices,  its  min- 
erets,  domes  and  delicate  tracery.  Words  fail  to  rep- 
resent Oriental  splendor.  Many  a  time  I  have  stood 
gazing,  with  full  consciousness  that  my  eyes  might 
never  in  this  life  view  such  scenes  again,  while  from 
the  arched  doorways  the  stalwart  Turk,  in  pure  white 
turban,  gold-lace  jacket  and  flowing  dress,  gravely 
paced  the  neighboring  tessellated  pavement.  The 
grand,  the  magnificent  and  the  deUcate,  all  are  here. 
It  but  wants  the  slanting  rays  of  the  setting  sun  to 
reproduce  St.  John's  ideal  of  Heaven.  Many  such  a 
sight,  and  perhaps  in  these  identical  places,  he  may 
have  seen  and  treasured  up,  to  appear  again,  as  in  his 
lonely  prison    he   penned  the    Revelation.       Bulak,  a 


AV  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  209 

suburb  on  the  northwest,  contains,  besides  a  hospital, 
a  cotton  mill,  a  paper  mill,  a  Government  printing- 
press  and  a  museum  of  Egyptian  antiquities.  The 
latter  of  which  should  certainly  be  visited. 

Up  the  Nile  a  short  drive,  on  the  island  opposite  old 
Cairo,  stands  a  pillar  some  forty  feet  high,  inserted  in  a 
well-shaped  inclosure  fifteen  feet  wide.  It  is  the  Nilo- 
meter  or  means  of  determininor  the  hei2;ht  of  the  river's 

*~J  CD 

annual  rise.  The  water  always  rises  to  thirty-two  feet, 
but  forty  feet  is  the  most  desirable  point,  as  a  less  rise 
would  not  fertilize  so  large  an  extent  of  country  as 
desirable,  while  to  rise  above  that  point  would  mean 
injury,  if  not  destruction,  to  both  country  and  property. 
The  Nile  had  now  reached  its  height,  and  was  begin- 
ning to  subside.  Over  opposite  was  a  palace  and 
harem.  A  little  to  the  north  is  where  Moses  was 
found  playing  with  the  frogs  and  bulrushes.  A  few^ 
hours  before,  I  had  been  shown  where,  as  they  claim, 
the  Ark  rested,  also  the  spot  where  my  noted  name- 
sake was  so  obedient  that  the  Lord  sent  an  animal  to 
butt  against  some  neighboring  trees  to  draw  away  his 
old  father's  attention.  If  the  truth  were  told,  I  be- 
lieve Abraham  was  first  made  aware  of  its  presence 
by  sudden  activity  in  the  rear,  and  that  it  was  no  less 
than  a  determination  to  get  even  with  the  little  rascal 
that  led  at  last  to  Isaac's  fortunate  escape. 

From  here  it  is  but  six  miles  to  the  pyramids,  and 
along  a  road  shaded  somewhat  by  trees.     Palms  are 


210       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

seen,   and   also    fir  trees,   on   our   left,   the  blue    Nile 
stretching  out  before,  and  a  little  to  one  side  the  lofty 
triangles  piercing  the  sky.     They  seem  nearly  as  high 
here  at  Cairo  as  on  the  journey,  and  when  you  have  paid 
your  mejideh  to  the  neighboring  sheik,  and  stand  at 
the    base,    there    still    is    little    change  except    in  the 
greater  roughness  of  the  exterior  or  the  protuberance 
of  their   side-layers.     The   first   you    visit    is    that    of 
Cheops,  780  feet  high,  with  a  base  of  764x764  feet.     It 
is  said  that  it  employed  360,000  men  for  twenty  years 
to  complete  it,  and  100,000  men  ten  years  to  construct 
a  suitable  way  from  the  Nile  over  which  to  transport 
the  immense  granite  blocks,  which  had  been  brought 
by  water  from   the  quarries  hundreds  of  miles  above. 
It  seems  plain  that  the  idea  that  the  body  would  again 
be  tenanted  by  the  soul  led  to  these  stupendous  tombs. 
There  are  three  large  and  three  small  pyramids  here. 
The  summit  of  the  Cheops  is  32  feet  square.     The  en- 
trance is  always    from    the   North,  uneven,  circuitous 
and  on  many  levels.     Sarcophagi  have  been  found  in 
all,   and    mummies   of    many    oE    the    early    Egyptian 
rulers  now  rest  in  the  Bulak,  French  and  British  Mu- 
seums.    The  Sphinx,  a  lion's  body  with  human  head, 
stands  but  a  short  distance  away,  a  giant  in  form  but 
shorn   of  much   of  its  beauty  and  attractiveness.     It 
seems  to  be  cut  from  the  solid  rock.     Its  true  height 
is  supposed  to  be   142  feet.     It  is  said  to  be   102  feet 
around  its  forehead.     Beneath   its   enormous  nostrils 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD. 


211 


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212       PL EA  SA  NT  HO  URS  IN' S UNNY  LA  NDS, 

was  stationed  an  altar  for  sacrifice,  as  it  was  a  local 
deity.  Memphis,  the  ancient  capital  of  Egypt,  lies  a 
little  farther  en  to  the  southeast  of  the  Sphinx.  Only 
a  few  hillocks  remain  to  identify  its  site. 

But  I  have  detained  you  too  long,  so  let  us  return 
by  beautiful  Rhodes,  the  whirling  dervishes  or  priests, 
to  the  spot  where  the  ruler  used  to  ride  horseback  over 
the  prostrate  forms  of  the  returned  Mecca  pilgrims. 
Far  from  the  southeast  section,  even  now,  as  of  old, 
large  caravans  go  out  on  this  still  sacred  pilgrimage, 
although  they  seldom  now  exceed  7,000  against  25,000, 
as  formerly.  They  leave  and  return  annually,  and  both 
occasions  are  sacredly  observed  as  holidays.  By  arched 
doorways,  through  which  I  can  see  fountains  playing 
and  orange  blossoms,  through  narrow,  covered  streets 
to  the  canal,  and  then  to  the  station,  I  reach  the  rail- 
way and  return  to  the  Mediterranean.  As  I  leave  the 
dock  to  walk  aboard  the  steamer,  a  group  of  veiled 
women  are  sifting  scattered  grain  and  coffee,  to  free  it 
from  the  gravel  and  dirt  for  home  use,  a  sight  not 
uncommon  in  any  Eastern  city  where  economy  is 
imperative. 

The  women  of  Northern  Egypt  wear  a  more  elaborate 
costume  than  I  had  seen  for  months.  It  may  be  on 
account  of  European  influence.  The  men  wear  flow- 
ing trousers,  a  small  vest,  an  embroidered  jacket  and 
low  cap,  or  large  white  turban.  The  women,  besides 
the  first-mentioned  article,  have  dress  open  at  the  sides. 


IiV  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  213 

gold  lace  jacket  with  long,  flowing  sleeves,  a  white 
muslin  veil  from  their  forehead  running  back,  and  a 
similar  one  flowing  down  over  their  face  so  as  to  protect 
all  but  the  eyes,  and  often  reaching  as  low  as  the  hem 
of  their  dress.  In  strong  contrast  to  their  soft,  clear, 
dark  complexions  stand  out  the  strings  of  white  orna- 
ments festooned  from  brow  or  clasped  about  their 
shapely  necks  and  shoulders.  When  you  meet  one  such 
like  Miriam  in  the  wilderness  giving  expression  to  her 
pent-up  joy,  you  see  poetry  of  motion  in  lines  you 
never  forget.  Another  common  scene  is  that  with  the 
skilful  but  sly  necromancer.  He  is  everywhere.  The 
first  I  met  was  a  strapping  great  fellow,  in  huge  white 
turban,  green  jacket,  and  trousers  so  full  as  to  resemble 
a  skirt.  In  a  wide  cotton  girdle  he  carried  several 
ancient  coins,  a  knife,  some  matches,  two  scorpions, 
and  one  of  the  loveliest  white  and  yellow  rabbits  ever 
seen.  The  number  and  nature  of  his  strange  perform- 
ances were  startling.  He  would  put  one  of  his  coins 
into  your  hand  and  request  you  to  hold  it  firmly. 
Then,  with  an  upward  glance,  murmuring  "Allah! 
Allah  !  "  he  would  make  outward  passes  with  his  arms 
and  suddenly  stop,  bend  down  and  pick  out  the  very 
coin  from  between  the  ugly  scorpion's  feet.  It  is  the 
first  intimation  of  his  trick,  and  before  opening  your 
hand  you  instinctively  press  your  fingers  more  closely 
to  make  sure  the  coin  is  still  there.  To  your  bewil- 
dering astonishment  you  feel  little  but  your  own  soft 


214       PLEASANT  HOURS  AV  SUNNY  LANDS, 

palm.     You  nervously  open   it.     You   find  just    what 
you  felt  —  absolutely  nothing. 

He  next  takes  the  two  squirming  scorpions  and,  as 
though  they  were  so  many  rich  dates,  slowly  chews 
them  up.  He  then  commences  to  playfully  tease  the 
gentle  little  rabbit,  which  stands  up,  rolls  over,  curls 
up  its  pretty  feet  and  goes  to  sleep  on  its  w^oolly  back 
until,  with  a  strange,  hollow  murmur,  this  man's  two 
fingers  are  inserted  into  the  little  fellow's  mouth,  which 
now,  we  remember,  had  been  growing  fuller  and  fuller, 
vintil  its  cheeks  stood  out  like  those  of  Jacky  Horner^ 
and  drawn  slowly  forth  is  one  wTiggling,  yellowish 
scorpion,  closely  followed  by  the  other.  He  next  un- 
wound from  his  head  his  long  white  turban,  twelve  or 
more  feet  in  length,  and  doubled  it.  Giving  one  end 
to  one  of  us,  he  drew  his  knife  and  deliberately  severed 
it  in  the  middle.  We  all,  at  his  request,  examined  the 
separated  parts,  and  promptly  returned  them  to  the 
owner.  He  stooped  and  struck  a  match.  Rising,  he 
held  the  lighted  match  beneath  the  severed  ends  until 
they  flamed  and  became  charred.  Then,  taking  the 
charred  ends  and  gently  blow'ing  out  the  flames,  he 
carefully  rubbed  the  injured  fabric  between  his  palms, 
muttering  in  soft,  liquid  tones,  "  Allah  !  Allah  !  Allah  !  " 
when,  with  a  slow,  graceful  flourish,  he  sent  floating 
ou:  in  the  air  before  our  very  faces  the  same  length  of 
spotless  white,  the  old  turban  reunited,  and  w^hile  we 
looked   to   one   another  in  amazement,  he  silently  ap- 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.         215 

reached,    and    in    a    most    insinuating    way    implored 
"  Backsheesh  !  backsheesh  !  " 

But  the  time  had  come  to  bid  Egypt  adieu. 

It  was  a   lovely  night,  with  the  stars  like  moons  in 
their  effulgence,  and  the   moon  like  a  burnished  silver 
shield.     The  dancing  waves,   tipped  with    silver,  ran 
merrily  before  a  stiff  breeze  and  lapped  the  vessel's 
side  with  soft,  pleasant  sounds,  as  if  in  tender  caress. 
Our  swarthy  pilot,    in   red   and  gold,   disappeared    at 
last  over   the  rail,  his   large,   w^hite   turban   reflecting 
light  not  very  unlike   the   moon  above,  and  was  soon 
wafted  back  to  harbor,  and  we  were  left  to  pursue  our 
course   alone.     It   was  a  fitting  occasion  for  contem- 
plation, and  yet  thought  failed  to  come.     Even  now, 
Egypt  holds  me  speechless.     China  seems  like  a  babe 
compared  w^ith  this  ancient  home  of  man.     The  more 
you  see,  the  more  irresistible  its  influence.     Even  the 
bulrush   and   papyrus   are   as   potent  as  its  rivers  and 
the  pyramids.     Like   the    annual    rise    and   fall   of  its 
sacred  Nile,  nations   have   risen   to   powder  only  to  dis- 
appear again,  and  we  almost  feel  like  pitying  Arabi  in 
his  deplorable  failure  to  succeed  in  the  unification  and 
improvement   of   his   people.     Arabi  was  brave,  but  of 
no  great   knowledge   even    of  his   native   land.     As  I 
saw  him  strolling  along  the  shore  in  his  exile  home  in 
Colombo,  I    did   not   realize  the   great  need  of  a  new 
prophet  to  his  native  people,  or  the  tender  attachment 
he   must   have  felt  for   Cairo,  where  he  lived  and  was 


216       PLEASANT  HO  URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

captured.  Perhaps,  he  determined,  if  taken  at  all, 
to  surrender  in  this  his  Heaven.  As  he  paces  the 
silent  shore  at  sunset,  and  gazes  on  the  western  sky, 
his  imagination  can  easily  picture  the  splendor  and 
magnificence  of  his  home  beneath. 


A    COIN    FROM    CAIRO. 


CHAPTER   Vin. 

The  jackal  in  the  field, 
The  Turk  within  the  town, 
Alas,  fair  Holy  Land  ! 

FROM  Alexandria  to  Jaffa  it  is  a  good  fifteen  hours' 
sail,  and  then  you  have  to  take  your  chance  of  landing 
safely,  or,  at  least,  getting  a  good  ducking.  The  Arab 
boats  cluster  around,  as  soon  as  your  arrival  becomes 
known,  and  thus  you  fortunately  escape  being  carried 
beyond  to  Beyrout.  As  you  catch  a  first  glimpse  of 
its  terraced  slopes  and  low  buildings,  you  are  a  little 
disappointed,  as  it  fails  to  please  one  just  hailing  from 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  217 

the  splendor  of  Cairo.  Yet  this  is  the  oldest  harbor 
in  the  world.  The  King  of  Tyre  brought  here  the 
cedars  of  Lebanon  for  Solomon's  temple,  and,  if  tra- 
dition is  correct,  it  was  here  that  Noah  built  the  Ark. 
Jonah  is  also  said  to  have  sailed  from  here,  and  judg- 
ing from  the  boisterous  sea,  it  is  most  likely  that 
Jonah  was  here  cast  up.  It  is  no  miracle.  Ask  my 
suffering  companions.  They  still  show  you  the  house 
of  Simon,  the  tanner,  where  Peter  had  his  vision,  and 
recalled  Tabitha  to  life.  Although  on  a  hillside,  and 
with  poor  and  dirty  streets,  it  has  some  pretty  orange 
and  lemon  trees,  and  also  the  tall  cypress,  for  partial 
compensation,  Jaffa  at  one  time  stood  seige  from 
Napoleon,  but  was  obliged  at  last  to  yield.  You  leave 
for  Jerusalem  as  soon  as  you  can  get  conveyance,  and 
if  early  in  the  morning,  you  can  reach  it  the  same 
night,  and  also  see  Lydda,  its  Church  of  St.  George 
destroyed  by  Saladin,  and  still  an  interesting  ruin,  and 
Ramleh  with  its  three  convents  and  two  mosques. 
This  place  was  the  scene  of  many  encounters  between 
Saladin  and  the  Crusaders  under  Richard  Coeur  de 
Lion.     It  is  but  a  small  town. 

You  next  come  to  Emmaus,  where  the  Lord  met  his 
two  disciples,  whose  hearts  burned  but  knew  him  not, 
for  it  was  after  his  crucifixion.  As  you  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  Holy  City  in  the  distance,  with  its  solid,  high 
wall,  its  many  domes  and  minarets,  you  are  quickly 
carried  back  to  Egypt,  and  if  one  would  be  content  to 


2 1 8        PLEASANT  HO URS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

remain  outside  and  ride  around  to  the  north  and  east, 
his  pleasure  would  quite  appease  his  high  anticipa- 
tions. But  the  moment  you  enter  the  Jaffa  gate,  you 
know  what  to  expect,  and  if  you  do  not,  you  soon  find 
it.  Were  it  not  for  seeing  the  Mosque  of  Omar  and 
the  Church  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre,  I  should  beg  you 
not  to  enter,  that  you  might  think  of  this  once  proud 
city  as  one  of  purity  and  light.  The  Turk  is  every- 
where— soldier,  magistrate  and  police.  The  money  is 
Turkish,  the  dress  is  Turkish,  the  smell  is  Turkish. 
There  appears  to  be  nothing,  unless  you  dig  down 
thirty  or  forty  feet  beneath  all  this  rubbish  and  fflth, 
to  which  the  Christian  can  pin  his  faith.  \\'ould  you 
bathe  in  the  pool  of  Siloam  ?  Only  in  imagination, 
friend.  'Tis  very  bad.  Would  you  sit  by  sweet, 
gliding  Kedron  and  list  to  its  gentle  murmur  ?  After 
you  have  succeeded  in  trying  a  hundred  or  two  of  the 
hot  stones  in  its  dry  bed,  each  one  hotter  than  the 
other,  and  wasted  nearly  a  year  of  your  life  waiting 
for  a  sight  of  water,  you  will  sadly  repent  and  sud- 
denly move  on.  You  will  then,  perhaps,  mournfully 
appreciate  the  western  wail  and  lift  up  your  voice  with 
the  many  unhappy  Jews  there  assembled,  and  refuse 
to  be  comforted.  This  is  the  Jews'  "  Wailing  Place," 
where  the  stones  are  worn  smooth  by  their  lips. 
Every  Friday  they  here  crowd  around  and  loudly  la- 
ment over  the  loss  of  their  Holy  City. 

The  Church    of  the    Holy  Sepulchre,  among  other 


I.V  A    TOUR  A RO VXD   THE   WORLD.  219 

things,  includes  within  its  sacred  walls  the  stone  where 
the  Lord's  body  was  anointed  before  burial,  the  stone 
where  the  Angel  sat  announcing  the  Resurrection,  the 
tomb  itself,  six  feet  square,  containing  a  white  marble 
sarcophagus,  where  the  body  of  Christ  lay,  and  where 
Mary  saw  the  two  angels,  where  forty-two  gold  and 
silver  lamps,  presented  by  different  European  rulers 
are  kept  constantly  burning,  the  square  platform  of 
Calvary  where  Christ  was  crucified — though  the  place 
is  probably  outside  the  Damascus  gate — and  many 
other  objects  of  real  interest,  even  if  not  believed 
authentic. 

By  passing  south  through  the  Jaffa  gate,  you  will  in 
six  hours  be  able  to  see  Bethlehem  a  little  to  the  south, 
and  get  a  sight  of  Hebron  farther  on.  A  short  dis- 
tance out  is  the  Elias  Convent,  where  that  prophet  was 
fed  by  the  angels.  Bethlehem  is  a  pretty  and  attract- 
ive town  seen  at  a  distance,  and,  strange  to  say,  nearly 
all  of  its  inhabitants  are  Christians.  Here,  in  a  mon- 
astery, is  shown  the  place  of  the  Nativity.  It  is 
within  a  church  of  Lebanon  cedar,  built  in  the  fourth 
century  by  Helena,  mother  of  Constantine,  and  is  the 
oldest  Christian  church  in  the  world.  You  descend  a 
flight  of  steps,  and  enter  a  marble  hall,  38x12  feet. 
A  silver  star  at  the  eastern  end  attracts  your  imme- 
diate attention.     You  read  : 

"  Hic  DE  ViRGiNE  Maria  Jesus  Christus  natus  est." 


220      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

In  a  recess  is  a  marble  manger.  Here,  then,  is  a  mar- 
ble manger  in  a  cave.  If  you  step  into  the  Church 
Santa  Maria  Maggiore  in  Rome,  you  will  find  a  wooden 
manger,  claimed  to  be  the  genuine  original.  St. 
Jerome  lived  and  died  here,  in  a  neighboring  grotto, 
and  not  far  beyond  is  a  chapel  where  the  angel  herald 


sang 


''Peace  on  Earth,  Good  Will  to  Men." 


Hebron  lies  still  farther  south,  and  in  its  precincts  lies 
the  cave  of  Macpelah,  with  the  bones  of  Abraham  and 
Sarah,  Isaac  and  Rebecca,  and  Leah  and  Joseph.  The 
spot  is  marked  by  a  mosque. 

Jericho,  the  Jordan,  and  the  Dead  Sea  require  about 
two  days,  and  is  an  interesting  trip.  Leaving  the 
eastern  gate  you  descend  into  a  valley  and  ascend  the 
Mount  of  Olives,  over  the  road  Christ  often  passed  on 
his  way  to  Bethany,  and  if  you  take  the  road  to  the 
right  3'ou  will  soon  see  Bethany  right  before  you. 
Poor,  dilapidated  Bethany !  You  are  constantly  de- 
scending until  you  reach  New  Jericho.  It  is  a  mere 
mass  of  loose  stone  huts,  like  those  in  Arabia,  and  of 
very  forbidding  appearance.  When  you  reach  the 
placid  lake  sparkling  between  the  high  banks  below, 
you  are  by  the  Dead  Sea,  1300  feet  below  the  Mediter- 
ranean, with  Jerusalem  4000  feet  above  you.  Rushes, 
reeds  and  overhanging  trees  enclose  its  northern  bor- 
der, and  nothing  unusually  unpleasant  detracts  from 
its    quiet   beauty.       It    is    salt,    heavy   and    buoyant, 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  221 

however,  as  one  would  expect,  and  were  it  not  for  the 
constant  accession  of  the  fresh  water  of  the  Jordan,  it 
would  be  much  more  so.  The  Jordan  is  soon  reached, 
and  can  be  crossed  by  either  ford  or  bridge.  It  is  a 
memorable  stream,  and  yet  you  fail  to  realize  how  it 
formerly  looked.  Now,  at  the  ford,  the  steep  fall  to 
the  Dead  Sea  gives  it  a  strong  current.  Formerly  the 
willows  and  rushes  can  hardly  have  been  so  abundant. 
It  was  then  probably  more  than  fifty  feet  wide. 

As  you  pass  over  the  level  plain,  where  once  old 
Jericho  stood,  memory  recalls  its  former  splendor  of 
palm  and  fruit  gardens.  Near  here,  Herod  the  Great 
lived  and  died.  These  groves  and  gardens  Cleopatra 
received  as  a  gift  from  Mark  Antony.  Here  occurred 
the  clever  scene  of 

"  Zaccheus  he  did  climb  the  tree, 
His  Lord  to  see." 

As  illustrated  in  the  old  New  England  Primer.  His 
house  is  pointed  out  occupied  by  a  Turkish  guard,  but 
it  is  strange  they  do  not  show  a  like  ingenuity  in  ex- 
hibiting the  tree.  Armenians,  Syrians,  Greeks,  Copts, 
Russians,  English,  French  and  Americans  all  flock 
down  through  this  plain  to  view  where  Elijah  led 
Elisha  through  Jordan's  waters,  and  ascended  to 
Heaven.  Where  Christ  was  baptized  by  John,  where 
Joshua  and  the  Israelites  crossed,  where  Namaan  was 
healed  of  leprosy,  and  Elisha  made  an  axe-head  float. 
If  the  said  instrument  had  a  wooden   head  —  or  the 


222       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

reporter  of  the  event,  which  is  more  likely  —  it  is  quite 
explicable.  Sodom  and  Gomorrah  are  supposed  to 
have  been  located  near  the  Dead  Sea  just  below. 
Where  on  its  high  banks  no  one  knows.  The  only 
points  about  the  sea,  of  interest  to  me,  were  its  great 
depth  of  1,300  feet,  and  its  surprising  gravity  and 
buoyancy.  The  axe,  if  broad,  like  the  ancient  battle 
axe,  might  here  even  now  for  a  considerable  time  re- 
main suspended  on  its  surface. 

It  was  farther  towards  the  Jordan  that  I  met  the 
only  attractive  flower  in  all  this  wild  region.  It  was  a 
magnificent  oleander.  This  flower  seems  never  to  miss 
the  care  of  man,  and  grows  wild  by  the  banks  of  the 
river,  a  proud  survivor  of  the  country's  former  glory. 
As  far  as  I  could  observe,  it  is  the  Germans  alone 
who  have  restored  any  great  part  of  Judea  to  its  former 
condition  or  fruitfulness.  They  have  settled  here  and 
there,  founded  schools  and  churches,  and  tilled  the 
soil  till  it  blossoms  like  the  rose.  Away  from  this 
people,  nothing  but  spiritual  experiences  out  of  the 
country's  associations  with  Bible  history  can  make 
your  journey  even  tolerable.  Your  property,  person, 
life,  even,  is  as  unsafe  beyond  the  Eastern  gate  of  Jeru- 
salem as  in  the  Middle   Ages.     A  party  of  Americans 

• 

were  surrounded  and  captured  by  Bedouins  to  the 
south  of  me,  and  a  party  of  Englishmen  just  a  little  to 
the  north,  and  although  I  escaped  a  like  experience,  it 
was  by  the  skin  of  my  teeth.     My  enforced  stay,  also, 


IX  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE  WORLD.  223 

at  a  place  where  the  Hvelong  night,  a  grizzy  old  Arab, 
at  regular  intervals,  broke  out  in  fierce  complaint,  in  a 
tone  calculated  to  awaken  both  Abraham  and  Ishmael, 
was  nearly  as  bad,  for  repeated  fright  is  often  worse 
than  death.     The  dress  of  the  people  varies  according 
to  the  nationality.     The  Turk,  as  in    Et'ypt,   has  low 
cap  or  large  turban,  broad  trousers,  and  red  or  yellow 
morocco  shoes ;  the  Arab,  cap  or  turban,  flowing  dress 
and  bright  sash.     Besides  these  there  are  many  Copts, 
Jews  and  Armenians.     The  latter  are  generally  Chris- 
tians, and   are  constantly  leaving  their  native  land  to 
escape  the  tyranny  of  the  Shah  of  Persia,  who  is  ^^lo- 
hammedan.     Several  young  men,  who   had  evaded  the 
Shah's  commands  that  no  Armenian  should  leave  the 
country,  came  to   Europe   in  my   company,  and  one  to 
New  York.     Their  aim  is   education  for   the  ministry, 
so  they  can  return   and  better   cope  with   the  Moham- 
medan.    What    I    saw    of    Mohammedanism    in    its 
mosques,  a  standing  crowd  beneath  the  reader's  desk, 
now  in  response  and  now  in   loud   lamentations,  awak- 
ened too  mixed  a  feeling  to   appreciate  their  form  of 
worship.    The  splendor  of  the  edifice  seemed  profaned. 
Perhaps  it  is  but  a  type  of  our  own  spiritual  life  in  the 
"Temple  not  made  by  hands.'' 

Many  scenes  familiar  to  the  Bible  student  are  daily 
encountered.  The  ox,  threshing  or  drawing  the  rude 
one-handled  wooden  plough,  the  tare  and  the  wheat, 
the  lily  of  the  field,  the  goatskin  water  bottles  swung 


224       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

over  the  shoulder,  the  sandal,  the  fig  and  palm  trees, 
the  hand  mill  for  grinding  grain,  and  the  ass,  raven 
and  vulture.  One  more  I  must  add,  the  most  potent 
and  sacred,  around  which  often  memory  clings  as  on 
no  other  object.  As  we  return  from  the  Jordan  and 
pass  over  the  brow  of  Mt.  Olivet,  we  descend  towards 
a  valley  and  stop  by  an  enclosure  containing  some  half 
a  dozen  ancient  trees.  Gnarled,  seared  and  broken, 
they  awaken  a  feeling  of  pity  for  themselves  alone,  but 
feeling  deepens  when  we  recognize  that  this  lonely 
spot  is  Gethsemane,  the  garden  of  our  Savior's  grief. 
We  linger  long  and  tenderly,  assured,  at  last,  its  past 
was  real  indeed.  This  we  could  feel,  this  no  man 
change,  and  slowly  to  the  gate,  turning  now  and  then 
for  yet  one  more  last  look,  we  passed  into  the  busy 
crowd. 

The  next  day  I  was  again  bounding  along  the  deep, 
blue  sea  in  the  same  course  taken  by  Paul  to  prose- 
cute his  appeal  to  Caesar.  Cyprus,  Crete  and  Clauda 
in  turn  passed  before  my  view,  and  strange  to  say,  the 
vessel  of  each  was  from  Alexandria.  Greece  from  a 
low  coast  begins  at  Navarino  to  grow  bolder,  till  soon 
nothing  but  mountains  and  ravines  appear.  Zante,  a 
good-sized  island  with  hilly  interior  and  sloping  sides,- 
soon  appeared  in  view.  It  is  dotted  over  with  scat- 
tering dwellings,  and  much  of  its  soil  is  given  up  to 
the  cultivation  of  a  small,  seedless  grape,  wdiich  is 
dried  and  exported  under  the  name  of  currant.     Con- 


I  A'  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  225 

trary  to  general  belief,  it  is  not  a  bush  fruit  like  our 
currant,  nor  is  its  culture  confined  to  this  pretty  island. 
In  western  Greece  I  found  the  same  fruit  in  large 
quantities.  The  slopes  were  bright  with  grain,  and  fig 
and  olive  trees.  Zante  is  its  leading  place  on  the 
east  coast.  Next  followed  the  large  island  Cephalonia, 
with  its  pretty  seaport,  Argostoli.  ^lissolonghi,  where 
Byron  fought  and  died,  lies  just  across  the  deep,  blue 
water  in  the  rear.  Next  came  Corfu,  with  its  pretty 
and  attractive  hills.  As  far  as  vou  can  see  to  the 
right,  the  Gulf  of  Patras  stretches  out  towards  Corinth 
and  eastern  Greece.  To  the  south,  the  Gulf  of  Arca- 
dia, with  Olympia,  celebrated  for  the  ancient  Gre- 
cian games,  looms  up  in  the  distance.  Farther  back, 
away  to  the  east,  lie  ]\Its.  Parnassus  and  Olympus. 

While  conversing  with  the  captain,  he  informed  me 
of  his  early  life,  and  pointed  out  to  me  his  native  town 
nestling  among  the  hills  of  Cephalonia.  Night  or  day, 
in  this  fresh,  healthy  climate,  one  loves  to  breathe. 
Beneath  you  lies  the  deep-blue,  white-fringed  wave, 
and  above,  in  the  wide  expanse  of  sapphire  sky,  no 
cloud  by  day  and  myriads  of  flashing,  brilliant  lights 
swinging  ever  nearer  to  your  side  at  night.  Four  of 
my  companions  were  young  Brahmins  from  the  interior 
of  India  on  their  way  to  England  for  a  collegiate 
course  at  Oxford.  Until  they  left  their  native  land, 
they  had  never  seen  the  sea,  and  their  handsome, 
manly  faces   always  lighted  up  in  enthusiastic  contem- 


226       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

plation  of  nature's  brilliant  panorama.       Passing  thus 
along  the  bold   coast  of  Turkey  and  Montenegro,  we 
soon  made  a  western  tack  and   saw  the  old  castle  of 
Fred.  II.  and  Charles  XII.  rising  out  of  the  sea  directly 
before    us.      This,   then,  is   Brindisi,   Diomed's    town, 
where    ended    the    old    Appian    way    mentioned    by 
Horace   and   Roman   historians.     Here   Irene  wedded 
Roger,    son    of  Tancred,  and    here,    also,  Virgil  died. 
Here  came  the  noble  Roman  to  embark  for  Greece,  and 
the  Crusader  for   the   land  of  Saladin.     It  is  now  the 
port  for  the   Australian  and  India  English  mail  route, 
and  lies   at  the  extreme  south-eastern  point  of  Italy. 
We  were  soon    alongside  of  a   dock  with  two  modern 
hotels  just  across  the  street,  and  old  Roman  ruins  on 
either  side.     Away  over  across  the  bay  rose  two  pretty 
villas  occupied  by  Italian  wine  merchants.     The  olive, 
fig,  pomegranate  and  grape,  in  the  rich  soil  and  mellow 
air,  are  fast  ripening.     Drawn  by  one  shaft  horse,  with 
a  donkey   or  smaller  horse  tugging  at  its  side,   dyed 
purple  with  wine,  and  slopping  the  rich  juice  like  water, 
are  constantly  rolling  by  large,  long  barrel-like  wagons 
of  wine  fresh  from  the  vintage. 

A  little  farther  on  another  liquid  is  being  transported 
in  a  more  primitive  and  laughable  fashion.  A  large 
goat  is  calmly  leading  a  full  half  dozen  or  more  com- 
panions along  the  open  street,  tinkling  a  large  cow-bell 
suspended  from  her  neck,  while  behind  lazily  trudge  a 
man  and  boy  calling  out  the  well-known  milkman's  cry. 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUXD  THE  WORLD.  227 

A  woman  issues  forth  from  a  neighboring  doorway  and 
holds  out  a  jar,  whereupon,  after  some  searching,  the 
old  man  finds  the  desirable  source  of  supply  and,  sink- 
ing down,  abstracts  just  the  quantity  of  lacteal  fluid 
ordered,  and  deliberately  turns  it  into  the  customer's 
receptacle.  Years  ago,  I  saw  the  same  experiment 
near  Hyde  Park,  London,  but  on  that  time,  with  the 
nobler  animal,  the  cow.  While  entering  the  park,  I 
saw  a  sign,  on  one  of  the  booths,  advertising  the  sale 
of  fresh  milk,  and  turning,  I  saw  a  girl  approach  the 
gentle  animal  and  extract  about  a  pint  of  fresh,  rich 
liquid,  and  hand  it  to  her  waiting  customer,  who  pub- 
licly swallowed  it  as  greedily  as  a  young  calf. 

Walking  up  into  the  place,  I  found  two  ver}-  old 
cathedrals,  one  not  much  in  use,  towards  which  a  long 
line  of  men,  women  and  children  were  swiftly  moving. 
Behind  the  leader,  bearing  his  full  hands  aloft,  came 
stout  priests,  a  bier  with  remains,  and  a  group  of  black 
dressed  women  tearing  their  hair,  throwing  up  their 
arms  wildly  into  the  air,  and  filling  the  ear  with  piercing 
lamentations.  Not  far  distant  stood  forty  or  fifty  men 
in  pairs.  As  they  moved,  I  heard  the  jingle  of  steel, 
and  approaching,  I  observed  that  each  couple  was 
united  by  a  chain,  and  that  all  were,  in  turn,  fastened 
to  a  longer  chain  between  them.  A  small  guard  of 
Italian  soldiers  seemed  to  have  them  in  charge.  They 
were  prison  convicts,  interrupted  in  their  course  to  the 
water  by  the  long  funeral  procession  to  the  Cathedral. 


228       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Women  and  girls  sit  at  their  doorways  winding  off 
from  reels  cotton  and  linen  thread  and  yarn,  while 
within  could  be  heard  the  well-known  sound  of  shuttle 
and  reed.  High  on  a  terrace,  overlooking  the  pretty 
land-locked  harbor  and  its  sea  castle  beyond,  are  two 
weather-beaten  columns,  one  a  symbol  of  Italy's  rare 
fertility  of  soil  for  vine  culture,  and  the  other  com- 
memorating in  old  Latin,  too  defaced  to  be  legible, 
some  important  local  event. 

But  little  can  be  seen  of  the  old  road  to  Rome,  de- 
scribed so  vividly  by  Horace.  For  centuries  this  was 
the  main  thoroughfare  to  Greece,  and  many  a  philoso- 
pher, statesman  and  poet  has  trod  the  way  my  feet 
were  then  taking.  The  way  is  there,  but  a  large  part 
of  the  town  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake  in  141 6. 
As  if  there  were  to  be  an  instant  repetition  of  that 
calamity,  the  church  bells  suddenly  burst  out  in  wild 
jargon.  What  a  noise  for  such  a  little  place !  It 
brought  back  my  former  experiences  in  the  North  of 
Italy  where,  years  ago,  it  seemed  to  me  that  every 
house  contained  a  bell,  and  every  street  a  priest. 
After  seeing  the  town  it  became  necessary  for  me  to 
choose  whether  I  would  continue  on  with  my  Palestine 
companions,  or  continue  with  my  original  plan.  As  I 
never  had  sailed  the  blue  Adriatic,  or  seen  much  of 
Turkey  and  Austria,  I  concluded  to  separate  and  go  to 
Trieste  and  Venice.  When  about  to  set  sail,  my  atten- 
tion was  drawn  to  a  crowd  around   a   returning  fisher- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  229 

man,  who  was  actively  jumping  around  and  trying  to 
run  a  knife  into  a  queer-looking  object  in  the  bottom 
of  his  boat.  It  was  not  a  fish,  neither  did  it  look  much 
like  a  crab,  yet  numerous  long  tentacles,  like  so  many 
serpents,  opened  and  closed  as  if  to  crush  everything 
within  reach.  I  had  seen  the  same  creature  before,  so 
it  was  not  long  before  I  made  it  plain  to  an  army 
friend  that  it  was  an  octopus.  On  the  shores  of  the 
Eastern  Islands  they  often  are  a  terror,  and  feared 
more  than  the  shark,  for  once  in  the  grasp  of  one  of 
these  strong  creatures,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  wound 
them  so  that  they  will  release  their  hold,  and  they  are 
soon  scrambling  off  with  their  prey.  Passing  two 
large  laurel  wreaths  hung  in  memory  of  Victor  Em- 
manuel, we  saluted  the  guard  and  went  on  board. 

Out  towards  the  bold,  rough  country  of  Montenegro, 
and  hugging  the  rough  Turkey  shore,  we  soon  bowled 
along  the  blue  Adriatic  as  in  a  dream.  Fleecy  clouds, 
driven  by  the  breeze,  kept  us  jolly  company,  while  just 
above,  others  were  skurrying  as  fast  in  the  opposite 
direction.  Often  on  the  ocean,  in  the  trade  winds, 
this  phenomenon  is  more  marked,  for  besides  the 
lower  stratum  of  clouds  accompanying  the  vessel  and 
the  next  upper  as  swiftly  flying  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, there  is  still  a  higher,  either  stationery  or  appar- 
ently following  the  vessel's  course.  Herzegovina  and 
Dalmatia  were  soon  seen  and  passed.  A  very  few 
villages  in  these  wild  countries  are  so  open  to  view  as 


230       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

to  be  plainly  seen.  As  soon  as  we  reached  Austria 
the  rain  fell  in  torrents,  and  drove  me  to  the  piano  for 
occupation. 

It  not  long  after  cleared  away,  however,  as  suddenly 
as  it  came,  and  right  before  my  startled  eyes,  as  if 
growing  out  of  the  rippling  sea,  rose  green  foliage, 
massive  edifices  and  mighty  domes.  It  was  a  scene 
of  real  enchantment.  Instead  of  the  high  and  rugged 
hills  of  a  few  hours  before,  solid  masonry  with  nothing 
but  the  water,  apparently,  to  spring  from  soon  stood 
out  on  both  sides  of  me,  as  firmly  as  if  carved  from 
solid  rock.  We  were  crossing  the  Grand  Canal  of 
Venice.  St.  Maria  della  Salute,  with  its  immense 
dome  and  grand  proportions,  was  in  plain  view  until  I 
reached  the  dock.  Boats,  long,  slender  and  low,  pro- 
pelled by  one  oar  in  the  hands  of  a  standing  oarsman, 
flocked  to  the  vessel's  side,  and  we  were  soon  seated 
in  the  little  queer  cabin  of  a  gondola.  These  long, 
narrow  boats  are  in  deep  black,  and  many  of  their 
cabins,  which  arise  like  a  buggy  top  in  the  centre,  are 
richly  carved.  They  run  to  a  sharp  line  each  end, 
and  carry  a  little  torch  for  night  use.  They  serve  the 
place  of  our  hacks,  coaches  and  horse-cars,  as  the 
streets  of  Venice  are  water-ways  only.  A  small  steam- 
launch,  now,  also  plies  up  the  Grand  Canal,  the  princi- 
pal street,  so  to  speak.  But,  if  you  have  the  courage, 
you  can  find  narrow  walks  alongside  of  the  houses, 
over  tiny  arched  bridges  and  through  its  small  squares. 


I.y  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  231 

I  soon  became  so  familiar  with  these  in  my  trips  after 
the  Rialto,  Bridge  of  Sighs,  and  St.  Mark's,  that,  to- 
day* I  feel  perfectly  safe  in  any  part  of  this  quaint  old 
city.  The  place  is  built  on  seventy-two  islands  and  is 
rightly  called  the  "Queen  of  the  Adriatic."  Its  146 
water-ways  are  crossed  by  306  stone  bridges,  each  like 
the  Rialto,  which  is  located  some  distance  up  the 
Grand  Canal,  steeply  rising  and  laid  with  steps. 

The  Rialto  differs,  however,  in  having  two  walls  sep- 
arating the  middle  way,  or  bazaar,  from  the  crossings 
on  each  side.  Its  stone  steps  are  worn  into  deep  hol- 
lows, though  the  amount  of  business  transacted  in  the 
queer  place  cannot  be  very  great.  Shakespeare  has 
immortalized  the  place,  however,  and  the  American 
tourist  should  leave  the  gondola  and  climb  its  rough 
steps  once,  at  least,  or  he  will  afterwards  regret  it.  The 
old  Bridg^e  of  Si2:hs  has  a  sadder  interest. 

"My  beautiful,  my  own, 
My  only  Venice  —  this  is  breath  !     Thy  breeze, 
Thine  Adrian  sea  breeze,  how  it  fans  my  face  ! 
The  very  winds  feel  native  to  my  veins, 
And  cool  them  into  calmness  I  " 

It  had  quite  escaped  my  mind,  when  turning  to  the 
left  from  the  avenue  leading  from  St.  Mark's  to  the 
water,  my  eye  happened  to  glance  up  and  rested,  in 
an  instant,  upon  a  covered  way  from  the  Doge's 
Palace  to  the  massive  granite  prison,  even  now  with 
iron-barred  windows.     Byron  has  truthfully  written,  — 


232      PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

'*  I  stood  in  Venice,  on  the  Bridge  of  Sighs ; 
A  palace  and  a  prison  on  each  hand; 
I  saw  from  out  the  waves  her  structures  rise. 
As  from  the  stroke  of  the  enchanter's  wand." 

It  is  high  in  the  air,  above  the  second  story,  at  least, 
and  beneath  flows  a  narrow,  sluggish  canal  into  the  sea. 
In  the  right  hand  building  were  confined  state  and 
other  prisoners.  It  is  a  gloomy  though  substantial 
building  even  now.  Over  this  high-covered  way  was 
led  in  chains  the  poor  unfortunate  to  receive  his  sen- 
tence in  the  building  opposite.  This  edifice  was  a 
palace,  grand  even  now  but  showing  signs  of  decay,  and 
in  process  of  substantial  repair  on  its  water  side. 

But  let  me  not  forget  St.  Mark's  Cathedral.  It 
must  have  been  nearly  2  P.  M.  when  I  entered  a  large 
arched  passageway  of  the  Royal  Palace,  and  found 
myself  face  to  face  with  a  long,  narrow,  paved  square. 
Hundreds  of  eager  doves,  like  snow-flakes,  filled  the 
air  and  so  obstructed  the  view  that  for  some  minutes 
nothing  else  could  be  distinguished.  When  finally  set- 
tled, the  pavement  seemed  literally  covered  with  them. 
I  now  saw  before  me,  rising  to  a  great  height,  a  square, 
reddish  tower,  which  I  recognized  as  the  Campanile, 
or  bell  tower.  At  its  base  stood  a  lady  and  attendant, 
who  but  a  few  minutes  before,  I  suppose,  had  strewn 
the  square  with  grain.  Not  knowing  the  hour  for  this 
well-knowai  and  pretty  custom,  it  took  me  quite  by  sur- 
prise, but  nothing  could  exceed  my  joy  when  my  eyes 
caught  sight,  a  little  to  the  left  of  the  bell  tower,  of  the 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  233 

sweeping  arches,  gilded  tracery,  and  soft  colors  of  St. 
Mark's.  Surely,  it  was  a  vision  !  If  it  is  so  beautiful 
to-day,  what  must  have  been  its  effect  when  fresh  and 
new !  It  dates  back  to  829,  when  it  was  founded  as  a 
ducal  chapel,  but  did  not  become  a  cathedral  until 
1807.  Its  architects  were  from  Constantinople,  who 
imported  600  marble  pillars  to  support  its  massive 
decorations,  from  distant  Greece.  Grandly  rises  before 
you  one  mighty  arch  or  alcove,  richly  adorned  with 
bright,  colored  mosaics  and  gold.  This  is  flanked  on 
each  side  v;ith  others  of  smaller  radius,  but  alike 
radiant  with  decorations,  blending  the  Moorish  so 
happily  with  the  Italian  style  that  you  are  quite  content 
in  thinking  yourself  in  both  Cairo  and  Rome  at  the 
same  time.  The  bronze  horses  of  Chio,  brought  as 
plunder  from  Constantinople  in  1206,  and  in  turn  taken 
by  Napoleon,  in  1797,  to  adorn  the  triumphal  arch  in 
the  Place  du  Carrousel  in  Paris,  now  replaced  stand 
conspicuously  forth  from  marble  arch  and  column. 

The  spot  where,  in  1177,  Frederick  Barbarossa  and 
Pope  Alexander  III.  met  in  reconciliation  is  marked 
by  a  small,  reddish  tile  in  the  vestibule.  The  pave- 
ment is  worn  and  cracked,  but  is  richly  built  of  agate, 
jasper  and  colored  marble.  The  columns  are  of 
porphyry  and  verd-antique,  while  both  inside  and  out 
large  and  rich  pictures  in  mosaic  greet  the  eye  in  every 
direction.  A  piece  of  the  Saviour's  dress,  the  stone  on 
which  he  stood  while  preaching  to  the  people  of  Tyre, 


234       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

and  many  other  precious  relics  are  still  shown  you 
here.  The  whole  square  is  surrounded  by  princely 
buildings,  flanked  on  the  outer  side  by  tessellated, 
arched  walks  or  passageways,  among  which  are  the 
Doges  Palace,  the  Palace  of  the  Nobles,  and  Royal 
Palace.  Near  by  is  the  Library  of  St.  Mark,  contain- 
ing many  rare  manuscripts,  such  as  Homer's  Iliad  and 
a  part  of  the  Odyssey,  of  Sophocles,  and  nearly  all  the 
works  of  Cicero.  Nearly  opposite  are  the  columns  of 
St.  John  of  Acre,  with  inscription  in  Latin  dating  as  far 
back  as  the  seventh  century,  accompanied  by  a  red 
porphyry  column,  from  which,  in  olden  time,  a  herald 
proclaimed  the  law. 

The  bell  tower,  referred  to,  dates  back  to  903.  It  is 
320  feet  high,  and  contains  the  home  of  a  watchman, 
who,  at  stated  intervals,  rings  the  bell.  Among  the 
paintings  worthy  of  especial  mention,  is  that  of  "  Para- 
dise," 84x334  feet,  by  Tintoretto,  said  to  be  the 
largest  canvas  in  the  world,  and  one  of  '"  Venice  in  the 
Clouds,"  by  Paul  Veronese.  The  home  of  Shakes- 
peare's Shylock  is  now  a  pawn-broker's  shop,  and 
Othello,  or  Christopher  Moro,  lived  here  on  Campo  del 
Carmine.  Both  Titian  and  Tintoretto  had  houses  here, 
as  did  also  Marco  Polo,  the  renowned  traveller.  Mon- 
uments to  Canova  and  Titian  can  be  seen  in  St.  Maria 
Gloriosa.  The  church  St.  Maria  della  Salute,  before 
mentioned,  has  a  history.  In  1630,  60,000  inhabitants 
were  carried  away  by  a  pestilence,  and,  on  its  disappear- 


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nv  A    TOUR  AROUXD  THE   WORLD.  235 

ance.  the  Venitians  erected  this  vast  edifice  in  grati- 
tude. It  faces  upon  the  Grand  Canal,  near  its  eastern 
mouth,  and  though  somewhat  dilapidated  in  its  outer 
statuary,  is  considered  the  most  magnificent  church  in 
the  whole  city.  It  contains  Titian's  "  Descent  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,"  and  Tintoretto's  "  Marriage  of  Cana,"' 
also  a  flag  and  pacha's  tails  captured  from  the  Turks. 
In  the  Academy,  a  little  to  the  west,  is  Titian's  finest 
production,  the  "Assumption."  But  with  all  the  relics 
of  the  past,  we  find  their  modern  lace  and  glassware 
in  close  and  successful  rivalry.  In  fact,  it  is  fully  as 
marvellous  and  interesting.  To  one  acquainted  with 
the  four  to  six  foot  streets  of  Venice,  and  the  absence 
of  every  sort  of  vehicle,  the  origin  of  head  transporta- 
tion, so  common  with  the  Italians  in  America,  seems 
self-evident. 

When  visiting  a  foreign  city  for  the  first  time,  it  is 
well  to  see  the  people  as  they  live,  and  although  difH- 
cult,  as  in  Venice,  you  lose  a  good  part  of  the  real 
benefit  of  the  trip  unless  you  take  a  stroll  around  the 
streets  and  by-ways.  You  are  hardly  out  of  sight  of 
one  church  before  vou  fall  in  with  another.  As  I 
looked  up  the  Grand  Canal,  the  magnificent  tower  of 
one  stood,  like  some  in  Benares,  inclined  to  the  stream 
at  an  angle  of  60  degrees,  and  probably  has  so  stood 
for  years.  If  you  are  not  careful  in  the  selection  of 
your  gondola,  your  personal  comfort  will  be  much 
greater  on  the  narrow  walks  than   on  the  water-ways, 


236       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

as  they  often  take  you  by  the  shorter  routes  through 
scenes  and  odors  most  execrable.  If  it  were  not  for 
the  daily  tide  here,  it  would  be  impossible  for  man  to 
breathe.  No  one  can  realize  the  vast  accumulation  of 
filth  of  all  kinds  Avhich  such  a  large  city  produces. 
Sixty  thousand  of  its  people  were  once  lost  by  pesti- 
lence, but  how  far  traceable  to  this  cause  is  not 
known. 

It  was  raining  when  I,  in  company  with  an  English 
clergyman,  took  the  train  in  departure,  and  was  whirled 
out  into  mid-ocean,  it  seemed,  towards  solid  land  and 
Verona.  It  was  soon  reached,  however.  It  is  located 
on  both  banks  of  the  Adige,  and  has  many  splendid 
edifices.  Here  Shakespeare  has  again  immortalized  an 
Italian  locality  in  his  "  Romeo  and  Juliet."  A  public 
house  is  shown  you  as  the  residence  of  the  Capulet 
family,  the  family  of  the  loving  but  unfortunate  Juliet, 
and  in  a  neighhoring  garden  is  a  chapel  said  to  contain 
her  remains.  But  never  mind,  we  do  not  believe 
everything  we  hear.  Where  is  Romeo  ?  Verona  is 
known  as  the  home  of  Pliny,  who  died  while  philo- 
sophically trying  to  solve  the  outbreak  of  Vesuvius  in 
79.  Paul  Veronese  also  was  born  here,  as  were  the 
Scaligers.  It  is  beautifully  surrounded  with  fields  of 
grain,  fruit  and  flowers.  Its  silk  factories  are  numer- 
ous, and  exports  of  raw  silk  very  large.  Just  below 
at  Mantua,  Virgil  was  born.  While  on  my  way  we 
stopped  at  Padua,  the  oldest  city  in  northern  Italy,  and 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  237 

possessor  of  one  of  the  oldest  universities  in  the  world. 
Dante  once  lived  here,  studying  at  the  University  with 
Petrarch.  Galileo  held  a  professorship  here,  and 
Harvey  in  1602  was  here  graduated.  I  did  not  make  a 
stay  as  it  seemed  less  interesting  and  cleanly  than 
other  points  farther  on.  As  I  went  on  towards  Milan, 
Solferino,  w^ell  known  for  its  battle  of  1859.  soon  came 
in  sight,  a  little  south  of  Lake  Guarda. 

When  I  opened  my  eyes  one  lovely  autumn  morning 
and  looked  upon  the  clean  streets  and  fresh  marble  and 
stone  buildings  of  Milan,  I  thought  I  had  never  seen 
in  the  whole  world  so  neat  and  beautiful  a  city.  Time 
has  not  changed  my  mind.  The  air  was  fresh  from 
the  snow-crowned  Alps,  quite  visible  in  the  distance, 
and  bright-green  shrubbery  filled  park,  avenue  and 
garden.  Its  magnificent  Cathedral,  the  bride  of  the 
earthly  church,  so  strongly  typical  of  religious  truth 
and  purity,  sat  in  fairest  white  awaiting  our  heartfelt 
adoration.  Is  it  inspired  !  It  certainly  inspires  you. 
What  hath  man  wrought !  There  it  rises,  of  pure  white 
marble,  490  feet  long  and  180  feet  wide.  The  more 
you  gaze,  the  more  deeply  you  feel  the  impossibility 
of  adequate  description.  In  fact,  it  is  a  long  while 
before  you  can  grasp  the  hundreds  of  pinnacles,  spires 
and  statues,  and  at  last  you  find  the  eye  running  in 
bewilderment  over  its  clouds  of  delicate  tracery  as  if 
it  were  a  vision.  Nor  is  the  effect  less  entrancing 
when  you  enter.     Its  clusters  of  pillars  supporting  the 


238       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

vault  90  feet  above,  its  countless  marble  figures,  its 
bright  walls  and  lofty  arches,  all  blend  into  the  realm 
of  the  wonderful.  Here  they  will  show  you  a  nail 
from  the  cross,  some  thorns  from  the  crown,  and  a 
piece  of  the  purple  robe  of  Christ,  the  rod  of  Moses, 
and  some  of  Daniel's  and  Abraham's  teeth.  These 
things  jar  upon  your  highly-wrought  nerves  as  trumpery, 
for  you  can  feel  no  faith  in  them,  and  you  hasten  out- 
side again,  where  nothing  can  disturb  your  meditations. 

The  rising  sun  tints  the  countless  pinnacles  and 
magnificent  tracery  with  rosy  light  till  the  beautiful 
structure  seems  alive  with  delicate  coloring.  The 
works  of  nature  are  so  perfect,  were  there  no  history 
of  its  erection,  it  would  be  easy  to  believe  that  it 
sprang  from  the  earth.  Such  a  wonder  can  grow,  but 
is  seldom  made.  Why  Napoleon  never  removed  it  to 
Paris,  exceeds  my  comprehension ;  everything  else  he 
could  lay  his  hands  on  travelled  that  way.  It  must 
have  been  that  he  thought  it  would  do  just  as  well 
after  he  had  conquered  the  world.  Twice  has  Milan 
been  taken  by  the  French,  once  in  1796,  and  again 
after  Marengo.  The  Simplon  road  commences  here  at 
the  Arch  of  Peace,  a  fine  marble  structure  73  feet  long 
and  74  feet  high,  with  a  bronze  statue  of  Peace  drawn 
in  a  car  by  six  immense  horses. 

The  Church  of  St.  Maria  della  Crozier  still  con- 
tains on  its  walls  the  masterpiece  of  Leonardo  Da 
Vinci,   30x15    feet,    "The   Last   Supper."     After   the 


INA   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  239 

battle  of  jNIarengo,  the  soldiers  used  this  room  for  a 
stable,  and  the  labor  of  sixteen  years  of  Da  Vinci's 
life  was  for  a  time  threatened  with  destruction,  but  it 
fortunately  escaped,  and  now  its  disturber,  Napoleon  I, 
has  a  fine  statue  by  Canova  in  close  proximity.  To 
speak  of  Milan's  art  collections,  or  places  of  interest, 
would  require  a  whole  volume.  Suffice  it  to  say  also, 
that  as  a  place  of  business,  it  is  a  model  for  other 
Italian  cities  and,  I  believe,  for  the  rest  of  the  world. 
A  little  west  and  south  are  the  historic  fields  of  Ma- 
genta and  Marengo,  the  latter  being  one  of  the  closest 
of  Napoleon's  battles,  both  in  severity  of  the  contest 
and  in  loss  of  able  men. 


A    COIN    FROM    JERUSALEM. 


240       PL  E  AS  ANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Beneath  the  dome  of  heaven's  pure  blue,  amidst  eternal  snow, 
The  glistening  ice-fields  at  our  feet,  the  smiling  vales  below, 
On  Alpine  peaks  we  stand. 

It  was  late  Autumn  when  I  left  Milan  for  Switzer- 
land. Hardly  had  I  got  beyond  its  walls  when  my  eye 
caught  sight  of  the  pretty  lakes  that  make  Italian 
scenery  so  celebrated.  I  was  soon  in  Como,  located 
at  the  southern  end  of  a  long,  narrow  lake,  way  down 
in  the  valley  below,  sparkling  with  blue  and  white  so 
beautifully,  I  thought  I  had  never  seen  anything  so 
lovely,  unless  above  the  whirlpool  below  Niagara  Falls. 
There  the  narrowness  of  the  walls  or  banks  of  the 
river  often  give  the  same  beautiful  azure  to  the  leaping 
water  in  the  deep  abyss  below.  Queen  Caroline's  old 
residence  stands  before  you,  once  known  as  the  Villa 
d'  Este,  and  the  picturesque  loveliness  of  the  sur- 
rounding heights  is  too  grand  for  expression.  And 
yet,  nestled  down  in  the  valley  is  a  city  of  about  25,000 
people,  with  double  walls,  and  actively  engaged  in 
manufacture  of  silk,  cotton  and  woolen  goods.  You 
realize  but  one  thing,  and  that  is,  the  sublimity  of  its 
mountain  scenery.  It  seems  like  the  connecting  link 
between  the  mighty  Alps  and  the  fertile  plains.     Vege- 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  241 

tation  runs  to  the  very  summit  of  these  hills,  and  one 

of  its  prettiest  sights  is   that  of  a  clear  white  marble 

villa  peeping  out  from   its  surrounding  orange,  citron 

and  mulberry  groves.     When  you  reflect  that  the  lake 

is  35   by  2i    miles,  you    form  but  a   faint   idea  of  its 

real    effect.     Even    in    midsummer    you    have    but    to 

mount  one  of  its  hills  to   see  the   snow-crowned  peaks 

of  the  distant  Alps. 

"  Sublime,  but  neither  bleak  nor  bare, 
Nor  misty  are  the  mountains  there, 
Softly  sublime,  profusely  fair; 
Looks  out  the  white-walled  cottage  here, 
The  lowly  chapel  rises  near." 

On  leaving  Como  the  air  became  gradually  cooler. 
Chiasso  and  then  Mendrissia  soon  came  in  view.  At 
the  latter  place  the  ice  and  snow-capped  Alps  seemed 
quite  near.  We  soon  crossed  Lake  Lugano,  and  came 
to  the  place  of  the  same  name  on  its  northern  border. 
None  of  these  Italian  lakes  are  wholly  in  view  at  the 
same  moment,  and  in  that  lies  a  great  deal  of  their 
attractiveness.  They  are  as  winding  and  narrow  as 
they  are  intensely  blue.  From  here  to  Bellinzona 
the  green  landscape  and  the  heavily  laden  vine  keeps 
your  attention  riveted.  Strong,  rosy  women  and  girls 
trudge  over  the  fields  and  along  the  single  road  to 
their  distant  home,  with  tall  wicker  baskets  strapped 
to  the  back  filled  to  the  brim  with  luscious  grapes. 
You  want  to  stop  and  run  through  its  green  fields  and 
shady  groves   as  light-hearted    as    its    people.       Lake 


242        PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

Maggiore,  with  its  long,  narrow  strip  of  bluest  water,  is 
away  to  our  left,  dotted  here  and  there  with  little 
sail-boats  as  white  as  the  villas  hanging  to  the  hillsideS: 
Bellinzona  is  the  largest  place  just  before  reaching  the 
St.  Gothard  Tunnel.  Its  importance  arises  in  part  to 
its  being  the  junction  of  four  railroads. 

I  was  soon  on  my  way  to  Switzerland  over  the  tow- 
ering snow-crowned  Alps.  Although  I  had  the  choice 
of  two  carriage  roads,  one  over  the  Splugen  Pass  on 
the  east,  and  that  over  the  Simplon  Pass  to  the  west, 
I  preferred  to  try  the  Mt.  St.  Gothard  Pass  and  its  cel- 
ebrated railroad,  and  soon  after  leaving  the  last  named 
station  we  gradually  began  our  tortuous  ascent  to  the 
clouds.  St.  Bernard  Pass  and  Mt.  Blanc  loomed  up 
away  to  the  southwest.  Slowly  but  surely  up  we  went, 
and  on  looking  down  I  wondered  w^hy  the  valleys 
below  w^ere  so  full  of  railways.  It  was  not  long  before 
I  found  that  away  up  above  us  were  not  only  other 
lines  but  tunnels,  and  began  to  see  that  they  were  all 
but  a  part  of  the  one  circuitous  route  I  was  pursuing. 
Still  up,  up,  up,  w^e  went,  now  climbing  into  a  dark 
hole  in  the  mountain,  and  then  crawling  out  into  day- 
light, till  w'e  found  ourselves  viewing  again  and  again 
the  same  low  valley  or  snow-capped  peak,  like  so  many 
new  scenes. 

For  over  nine  miles,  we  were  in  the  heart  of  the 
mountain  in  one  continuous  tunnel.  The  infant  Rhine 
rolled  down   the  steeps   on  my  right,  while   to  my  left 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE    WORLD.  243 

splashed  and  gurgled  the  rills  that  start  the  mighty 
Rhone.  Hundreds  of  feet  above,  waterfalls  burst 
over  the  rocks,  fell  into  mist  and  soared  away  in 
clouds.  The  region  of  perpetual  snow  on  my  left 
shone  like  burnished  silver.  There  was  the  noble 
Finsteraarh,  14,026  feet;  Shreckhorn,  13,394  feet ;  and 
Jungfrau,  13,761  feet,  flanked  by  others  of  as  great,  if 
not  greater  height.  Away  to  the  southwest  were 
Monte  Rosa,  15,217;  Matterhorn,  14,705;  and  Weis- 
horn,  14,804  feet.  The  modest  hospice  of  St.  Gothard, 
perched  like  an  eagle  in  its  loneliness,  appeared  on 
my  left  just  before  entering  the  tunnel,  and  the  hospi- 
tal and  Devil's  Bridge  back  to  the  left  of  our  exit  at 
Oberalp. 

From  the  thrifty  farms  and  fertile  fields  up  the  giant 
peaks,  through  chestnut  groves  laden  with  ripe  fruit, 
past  picturesque  cowherd  with  patient  drove  quietly 
grazing  on  the  hills,  still  up  past  flocks  of  goats  nibbling 
to  the  very  snow  line,  we  labored  on.  The  tinkling 
of  bells  and  the  plash  of  the  waterfalls,  alone,  broke 
the  quiet  air.  From  the  plank  house  with  first  story 
of  stone  for  a  barn,  to  the  rough  log  building  with  its 
long  overhanging  roof,  we  came  to  the  desert,  the  wil- 
derness of  the  air.  The  trees  grew  less  tall  and 
drooped  their  thick  branches  as  if  perennial  snow  and 
rain  had  destroyed  all  their  buoyancy.  Long  lines  of 
firmly  imbedded  posts  and  interwoven  branches  and 
vines  stood  far  up  from  the  railroad  to  protect  it  from 


244       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

avalanche  or  rush  of  spring  torrents.  Now  and  then 
a  group  of  picturesque  dwellings  nestled  or  clung  to 
a  little  green  plain  where  none  but  the  mountain  eagle 
or  vulture  can  live  in  safety,  and  every  boom  that 
startles  your  hearing  brings  sad  forebodings  of  dis- 
aster. Like  a  mist,  the  light  snow  rises  and  reveals  a 
solid  cloud  of  white  where,  but  a  few  minutes  before, 
all  was  lovely  green.  And  thousands  of  feet  below  on 
the  pretty  level  farms,  men,  women  and  children  are 
making  their  autumn  hay  and  gathering  fruit.  Fine 
plump  cattle  and  sheep  quietly  graze  in  the  rich  pas- 
tures and  beside  the  blue  waters,  as  if  the  world  held 
naught  but  health  and  peacefulness. 

At  2  P.  M.  I  was  at  Goeschenen,  the  first  village 
beyond  the  tunnel,  in  Switzerland,  in  a  light  snow- 
storm, but  passed  right  on  to  Altorf,  the  capital  of  the 
Canton  of  'Uri,  and  memorable  for  the  traditional  shot 
of  William  Tell  immortalized  by  Schiller.  The  patriot's 
reputed  birthplace,  Burglen,  lies  a  little  to  the  east. 
Altorf  contains  the  oldest  Capuchin  convent  in  Switzer- 
land. It  is  romantically  located  near  the  Bay  of  Uri, 
and  never  wearies  with  its  grand  and  lovely  views. 
Not  far  beyond,  we  come  to  Fluelen,  on  the  same 
sheet  of  water,  and  containing  Tell's  chapel,  and  still 
further  on  to  Schwyz,  the  capital  of  the  canton  of  the 
same  name.  Besides  being  interesting  on  account  of 
being  the  scene  of  the  early  struggles  of  the  Swiss 
against  their   Austrian   oppressors,   from  Altorf  down 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.         245 

they  are   memorable  for  the  retreat    of  the    Russian 
Army  before  the  French  in  1799. 

Wide  on  both  sides  extend  the  green  fields,  full  of 
fine  plump  cattle  and  sheep.  Even  vegetables  and 
wheat  yield  abundantly.  As  I  alight,  a  buxom  dame 
and  daughter  stand  viewing  my  train,  with  the  most 
pronounced  admiration  of  the  whole  equipment.  Their 
cheeks  were  like  roses,  and  well  worthy  of  returned 
admiration,  which  they  undoubtedly  received.  Every- 
thing in  Switzerland  has  the  appearance  of  perfect 
health,  and  yet  here  the  barns,  for  stabling  all  their  do- 
mestic animals,  are  built  beneath  the  same  house  that 
is  to  shelter  the  family.  In  pleasant  weather,  you  sel- 
dom find  a  woman's  head  protected,  and  they  would 
laugh  at  the  idea  of  corsets.  Man  as  I  am,  I  envied 
them  in  their  happy  consciousness  of  health  and 
strength.  And  that  is  not  all,  for  health  often  means 
content  and  good  nature.  Well  may  they  love  their 
green  fields,  deep  blue  lakes  and  Alpine  peaks ! 
Stranger  as  I  was,  it  made  me  homesick  to  depart. 
Goldau  and  the  Rigi  somewhat  consoled  me.  Lake 
Zug,  at  your  feet  at  the  north,  and  Lake  Lucerne  on 
the  south,  with  bright  little  Kussnacht  nestling  in  the 
green,  level  valley,  is  a  panorama  never  to  be  forgotten. 

With  Alpine  stocks,  like  so  many  brave  shepherd- 
esses, some  ten  young  ladies  accompanied  us  to  the 
small  railway,  and  when  seated  in  the  car  looked  the 
perfect  picture  of   healthy  country  life.     Some  were 


246       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

English,  some  French,  and  a  few  German,  but  not 
one,  however  pale  at  home,  failed  to  rival  the  others 
in  the  roses  on  their  cheeks  or  the  firmness  with  which 
they  grasped  the  Alpine  crook.  The  ascent  is  not 
very  long,  but  slow,  as  the  grade  is  250  per  1000  feet, 
and  rises  from  Lake  Lucerne  5,739  feet.  None  re- 
gretted the  ascent,  even  though  snow  was  rapidly 
falling,  and  cold,  unwelcome  tremors  ran  through  one's 
precious  body  in  spite  of  stern  determination  to  appear 
nice  and  comfortable.  It  was  but  a  few  weeks  before 
that  I  was  broiling  under  an  Arabian  sun,  and  longing 
for  just  such  a  climate.  Yet  I  was  happy  in  my  mis- 
ery, for  others  were  colder  than  I,  and  threatened  the 
frequent  overturning  of  the  car,  when  at  times  they 
found  it  impossible  to  longer  remain  desperately  im- 
passive, and  suddenly,  with  a  sudden  "  Oh  dear !  " 
went  off  into  a  convulsive  shiver  that  shook  us  all  into 
loud  laughter. 

On  my  descent,  I  went  on  to  Lucerne,  the  chief 
place  in  the  canton  of  that  name.  It  lies  at  the  head 
of  Lake  Lucerne,  in  the  midst  of  cultivated  hills  and 
grand,  distant  mountains.  It  is  partly  surrounded  by 
an  ancient  wall  with  octagonal  towers,  one  of  which 
once  served  as  a  light-house  to  the  Lake,  hence  its 
name.  From  merely  a  monastery,  it  has  gradually 
grown  to  a  city  of  18,000  souls.  It  still  has  two  of  its 
ancient  covered  wooden  bridges  spanning  the  river, 
and  also  a  work  of  interesting  art  in  its  "  Lion  "  by 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  247 

Thorwaldsen,  commemorating  the  members  of  the 
Swiss  Guard  who  fell  defending  the  Tuilleries  in  Paris 
in  1792. 

The  Lake  of  Lucerne  extends  for  eight  miles  its 
narrow  and  beautifully  irregular  course,  between  steep 
mountains  rising  from  4000  to  5000  feet  above,  and, 
making  a  sharp  bend  south,  becomes  the  Bay  of  Uri 
before  referred  to.  As  many  as  four  large  hotels  testify 
to  its  growing  importance  as  a  summer  resort.  There 
are  also  small  steamers  regularly  running  up  and  down 
its  pretty  surface.  Apart  from  the  rare  loveliness  of 
hill  and  plain,  lake  and  river,  many  deeds  of  memora- 
ble heroism  tend  to  rivet  the  Swiss  to  his  native  land. 
This  it  is  what  keeps  contentment  in  their  homes  and 
unity  in  their  government.  Their  early  struggles  for 
liberty  against  Austria,  so  dearly  bought,  still  remains 
a  lesson  to  keep  from  war  and  bloodshed.  The  Roman 
army,  Napoleon's  army,  the  Russian,  and  the  Italian 
have  all  scoured  the  country  to  and  over  the  Alps,  but, 
like  spring  following  winter,  the  warm  rays  of  peace 
have  made  her  fertile  valleys  again  blossom  like  the 
rose.  The  common  dwelling  is  made  of  four  corner 
posts,  filled  in  between  with  plank  or  stone,  while  up 
the  steep  Alpine  heights,  none  are  seen  but  the  rude 
formation  of  one  log  notched  and  laid  upon  another. 
The  low,  overhanging  roof,  however,  redeems  it  from 
unsightliness,  and  even,  with  its  surrounding  drooping 


248       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

firs,  presents  a  scene  strongly  picturesque.     How  can 
a  people  breathe  in  such  a  land  and  not  be  free ! 

From  here  I  went  to  Sempach,  where  the  leagued 
cantons  defeated  Austria,  It  is  a  small  place  quietly 
located  by  a  little  lake  of  the  same  name.  I  was  next 
at  Zurich,  at  the  head  of  the  pretty  Lake  Zurich.  It 
is  a  large  place  for  the  country,  numbering  about 
76,000  people.  It  has  a  university  and  a  fine  art 
school.  She  it  was,  years  ago,  that  offended  Germany 
by  lavish  praise  of  the  English  poets,  Milton  and 
Shakespeare.  Although  in  a  plain,  it  joined  the  moun- 
tain cantons  for  liberty.  Crossing  the  Aar  at  Brugg, 
I  was  soon  in  Basle,  quite  on  the  frontier  of  Alsace. 
Here  I  found  myself  by  the  noble  Rhine  once  more. 
Here,  again,  is  a  university,  and  an  old  Gothic  cathe- 
dral bearing  date  of  loio,  and  containing  the  tomb  of 
Erasmus  and  other  eminent  divines  ;  for  theology  has 
always  held  sway  here  since  the  days  of  Cop  and  John 
Calvin,  who  studied  and  carried  on  their  crusade 
against  the  weaknesses  of  the  Catholic  clergy  here. 
Here  was  started,  in  1804,  the  first  Bible  Society  on 
the  Continent.  Silk,  cotton  and  woollen  goods  are 
largely  manufactured,  but  its  chief  trade  is  in  ribbons. 
The  battle  of  St.  Jacob  took  place  in  its  vicinity,  and 
since  the  old  Romans  first  located  the  outpost,  its 
vicissitudes  in  times  of  war  have  been  many.  In  1431 
a  council  to  reform  the  Church  was  here  held.  In 
1437   ^^"^^   council   ordered  the   Pope  to  appear  before 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  249 

them  at  this  place,  and  he  replied  by  proroguing  the 
council.  Still  the  council  continued  its  sittings  and 
reprimanded  his  Holiness  for  his  disregard.  It  seems 
to  have  been  a  struggle  between  the  universities  or 
seats  of  learning  and  the  papal  chair,  and  after  the 
appointment  of  a  rival  Pope,  and  death  of  the  incum- 
bent, harmony  was  brought  about  by  a  compromise^ 
Much  of  interest  might  be  added  to  these  few  words, 
but  I  am  in  haste  to  get  away  from  the  chilly  air  and 
view  the  blue  Alsatian  mountains  beyond. 

The  next  day  I  reached  Mulhausen,  the  chief  place 
in  upper  Alsace.  The  south  of  the  town  is  prettily 
laid  out  in  promenades,  but  some  of  the  other  portions 
are  far  from  attractive.  It  is  an  old  mediaeval  town, 
but  little  but  its  town-house  shows  the  marks  of  age. 
Several  wealthy  families  have,  for  years,  monopolized 
the  manufacture  of  muslins  and  calico  printing.  There 
is  a  system  of  workingmen's  homes,  similar  to  that  in 
America,  where  the  laborer  may  obtain  a  neat,  com- 
plete homa  by  paying  a  certain  sum  monthly  from  his 
wages.  The  people,  at  the  close  of  the  Franco-Prus- 
sian war,  began  to  emigrate,  on  account  of  their 
strong  French  sympathies,  but  as  time  goes  on  she 
may  regain  her  loss  from  other  nations. 

About  seventy  miles  north,  after  passing  through 
Colmar  with  its  old  cathedral  of  1363,  I  came  to 
Strasburg,  the  stronghold  of  the  Rhine,  surrounded 
by  green  fields,  and  lifting  to  the  sky  its  vast  cathedral 


250       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

towers  to  the  height  of  465  feet.  Instead  of  suffering 
from  its  severe  bombardment  in  the  late  war,  it  seems 
to  have  expanded  and  put  on  the  appearance  of  new, 
wide  streets  and  modern  style  of  architecture.  The 
old  part  has  streets  too  narrow  for  comfort  or  conven- 
ience, and  is  a  type  of  a  mediaeval  town.  Part  of  its 
cathedral  dates  back  to  1015,  but  the  spire  was  not 
finished  till  over  400  years  after.  Gutenburg  spent  a 
part  of  his  life  here,  an  event  now  commemorated  by  a 
statue.  There  is  one  also  to  Gen.  Kleber,  who  was 
born  in  the  place.  The  old  university  lies  a  little  to  the 
east  of  the  cathedral,  and  is  now  in  a  flourishing  con- 
dition. About  90,000  dwell  within  the  new  walls  and 
fortifications  of  the  city,  and  near  the  university  is 
stationed  the  15  th  corps  of  the  German  Army.  Before 
the  war  of  1870-71,  a  large  part  of  the  people  were 
Germans,  but  really  sympathized  with  France,  which 
led  to  a  large  emigration  to  Canada  and  the  United 
States,  as  soon  as  their  conquerors  enclosed  Alsace 
Avithin  the  German  lines.  For  a  military  town  of  the  first 
magnitude  its  trade  is  curious,  consisting  of  pates  de 
foie  gras.  or  "  fat  liver  pies,"  to  the  amount  of  $500,000 
annually,  hops,  sausages,  hams  and  sauerkraut. 

From  three  to  five  miles  from  the  centre  of  the  town, 
at  certain  intervals,  the  Germans  have  put  a  circle  of 
fourteen  forts,  thus  greatly  strengthening  it  as  a  strate- 
getic  point.  The  old  pentagonal  citadel  of  1682  was 
totally  destroyed  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war.    The  8th 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUJVD  THE   WORLD.  251 

Roman  Legion  was  once  stationed  here,  then  called 
Argentoratum.  In  1349,  for  alleged  poisoning  of  the 
wells  of  the  town,  2,000  Jews  were  burnt  to  death. 
The  peace  of  Ryswick  in  1697  gave  Alsace  and  Stras- 
burg  to  the  French,  but  after  a  siege  of  seven  weeks 
17,000  of  the  French  Army  surrendered  the  place  to 
the  Germans  in  1870.  During  a  part  of  the  engage- 
ment, ten  to  fifteen  shells  were  sent  into  the  town  per 
minute.  At  night,  soldiers  could  read  ordinary  print 
four  miles  distant  by  the  light  of  the  burning  Public 
Library,  the  new  Temple,  Museum  of  Painting,  and 
many  other  fine  buildings.  Ever^'thing  has  been 
cleared  away,  till  now  there  is  no  appearance  of  the 
deplorable  ruin.  Twenty  thousand  people  were  left 
without  homes  or  money.  There  were  not  300  houses 
in  the  whole  place  uninjured. 

From  Strasburg,  both  Nancy  and  Marion  were  before 
me,  but  as  I  was  quite  familiar  with  the  latter,  I  decided 
to  pay  a  visit  to  the  former  instead.  It  is  the  old  cap- 
ital of  Lorraine,  and  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  French 
at  the  same  time  with  Strasburg.  It  now  contains 
many  of  the  Alsatians  who  left  their  native  soil  at  the 
close  of  the  late  war,  which  so  quickly  returned  nearly 
all  but  Nancy  to  the  German  fold  again.  They  are 
now  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  hosiery,  fine  em- 
broideries and  artificial  flowers.  It  has,  among  other 
interesting  institutions,  a  thriving  University  and  many 
schools. 


252       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

After  passing  by  long  white  streets  shaded  with  the 
tall  Lombardy  poplar,  and  over  wide  and  level  fields 
long  since  harvested,  where  many  a  brave  soldier  lost 
his  life  before  Metz,  I  reached  Chalons,  an  old  provin- 
cial town  that  had  twice,  in  the  Middle  Ages,  repulsed 
the  English  from  her  walls,  and  once  been  capital  in 
place  of  Paris.  It  has  nineteen  acres  of  fine  park, 
which  suffered  severely  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war. 
The  old  woolen  fabric  called  "  Shalloon  "  originated 
here  which,  together  with  shoes,  hosiery,  cotton  cloth, 
and  its  immense  wine  trade,  constitutes  the  chief  busi- 
ness of  its  active  inhabitants.  It  has  a  Cathedral 
going  back  to  the  twelfth  century,  a  Benedictine  Ab- 
bey, and  a  host  of  other  relics  of  the  past.  Attila 
was  here  defeated  in  451.  MacMahon  was  once  lo- 
cated here,  but  it  early  fell  into  the  hands  of  the 
Germans,  and  .  on  account  of  its  railroad  facilities 
became  an  important  aid  to  their  final  victory  in  1872. 

I  had  now  come  to  a  familiar  part  of  France,  so  I 
took  a  midnight  train  for  Creil,  Amiens  and  Calais. 
The  night  was  dark  and  rainy,  the  rain  soon  changing 
to  hail  and  snow.  An  American  lady,  with  two  fine 
appearing  young  sons,  was  my  only  companion  until 
we  stopped  for  early  lunch,  when  we  found,  on  our 
returning,  our  compartment  taken  by  two  inveterate 
smokers,  who  had  made  it  unfit  for  occupancy. 
Through  Northern  Italy  and  the  whole  of  Switzerland, 
I  had  been  fortunate  in  securing  one  of  the  two  single 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  253 

upholstered  chairs,  now  to  be  found  on  the  left  side 
of  their  compartment  cars,  which  gave  me  all  the 
accommodation  of  a  drawing-room  train.  When  day- 
light broke,  the  Avide,  fertile  fields  of  Normandy,  stocked 
with  grain  or  covered  with  shivering  cattle  and  sheep, 
lay  spread  out  before  me  on  all  sides.  Although  it 
was  away  back  in  1874  and  1877  when  I  had  visited 
the  country,  everything  seemed  unchanged.  Even 
Boulogne,  with  its  old  stone  Cathedral  on  the  hillside, 
and  its  high  cross,  where  Napoleon  with  his  large  army 
pondered  the  feasibility  of  crossing  to  subdue  Eng- 
land ;  and  Calais,  with  its  citadel,  erected  by  Cardinal 
Richelieu  in  1641,  and  its  revolving  light  shedding  its 
resplendent  rays  to  the  distance  of  twenty  miles,  ap- 
peared as  quaint  and  dull  as  ever.  Calais  is  well 
fortified,  even  having  meadows  on  two  sides  capable 
of  being  quickly  flooded  in  event  of  danger.  A  sub- 
marine cable  is  here  laid  under  the  Straits  of  Dover  to 
England.  The  terminus  of  the  proposed  tunnel  to 
England  is  six  miles  west.  After  the  famous  battle  of 
Crecy,  in  1346,  Edward  III.  of  England  laid  siege  and 
gave  it  into  the  hands  of  England  till  1550,  when 
30,000  men  under  the  Duke  of  Gnise  succeeded  in  re- 
taking it. 

Twice  a  day  the  English  mail-boats  steam  across  to 
Dover  and  return,  and  it  is  a  pleasant  pastime  any 
warm,  pleasant  day  to  sit  and  watch  this  great  thor- 
oughfare of  England,  Norway,  Sweden  and   Germany, 


254       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

as  the  different  vessels  constantly  pass  in  review.  The 
white-fringed  caps  of  the  fisherwomen  peer  out  from 
under  mounds  of  black  fish-nets  upon  their  bending 
shoulders,  as  they  stride  down  to  the  sea.  Women  in 
frilled  muslin  descend  from  their  two-wheeled  bread 
and  milk  wagons  and  deliver  their  goods,  even  on 
Sunday,  with  little  less  grace  than  in  their  household 
duties.  I  again  saw  it  all,  as  I  had  the  Sunday  in 
1874,  when  first  I  trod  the  soil  of  France.  But  soon 
we  were  all  aboard  in  search  of  a  warm  spot.  No  one, 
after  looking  at  the  high  billows,  cared  to  go  below, 
so  down  on  deck  men,  women  and  children  soon  en- 
sconced themselves  behind  the  solid  rail.  Once  out 
in  the  Channel,  a  cross  sea  of  immense  billows  steadily 
hammered  our  feeble  starboard  until  it  seemed  impos- 
sible to  go  on,  but  by  a  slight  inclination  of  the  bows 
we  succeeded  in  getting  in  sight  of  Dover  Castle,  and 
at  last  the  high  granite  embankment  of  the  town. 
The  passage  was  but  little  more  than  an  hour's  dura- 
tion, but,  thank  the  Lord,  it  was  no  longer,  or  there 
would  have  been  little  left  to  some  of  us.  Yet  its 
yellowish-green  billows,  so  fatal  to  happiness,  are 
always  beautiful  here,  and  it  was  so  icy  cold  it  is  a 
great  wonder  how  seasickness  could  get  a  chance  to 
work  at  all. 


IX  A    TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORLD.  255 


CHAPTER   X. 

The  globe  at  last  is  won. 

Adieu,  good  friends.     Welcome  grateful  home  ! 

FROM  Dover,  I  wished  to  take  a  turn  to  the  west 
to  see  Hastings,  where  William  the  Conqueror  in  one 
short  hour  changed  the  destiny  of  England,  if  not  the 
world ;  and  the  quaint  old  town  of  Lewes,  connected, 
so  many  centuries  ago  with  my  name  and  ancestry. 
Lewes,  the  county  town  of  Sussex,  sits  on  a  hillside, 
about  seven  miles  north  of  the  P^nglish  Channel,  on 
which  it  has  a  port  called  Newhaven.  Its  great  antiquity 
is  disclosed  by  the  ruins  of  King  Alfred's  old  castle  on 
the  height  back  of  the  town.  One  main  street  extends 
through  the  centre  of  the  town,  from  which  issue  many 
little  streets  at  right  angles.  The  cliffs  of  chalk,  so 
common  in  southern  England,  really  form  its  location 
and  surrounding  country.  Here  it  was  that,  in  1264, 
Simon  de  ]\Iontfort  defeated  Henry  HL  It  was  the 
royal  stronghold  and  seat  of  the  South  Saxon  kings, 
and  Athelstan  here  established  a  mint  that  continued 
to  the  time  of  William  the  Conqueror.  Until  1868  it 
returned  two  members  to  Parliament.  In  1845,  '^^'^  ^^e 
grounds  of  the  old  priory  of  St.  Pancras  dating  1078, 
were  unearthed  two  ancient  lead  coffins,  one  contain- 


256      }^^^  AS  A  NT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS. 

ing  the  remains  of  William  de  Warren,  who  rebuilt  the 
old  castle  here,  and  the  other  those  of  Gundrada. 
Roman  coins  are  continually  coming  to  light  from  the 
soil,  and  ancient  mounds  testify  to  its  great  antiquity. 
A  remnant  of  the  old  Norman  style  of  architecture  is 
still  seen  in  its  Church  of  St.  John.  St.  Anne's,  also, 
is  very  early  English.  St.  Michael's  is  bare  and  plain, 
but  has  some  fine  old  monuments.  For  years  the 
place  has  been  celebrated  for  its  iron  and  brass  work, 
and  some  curious  old  specimens  are  still  found  in  the 
latter  church. 

The  names  Lewes  and  Lewis  are  of  the  same  deriva- 
tion, both  abridged  and  euphonised  from  the  Latin 
appellation  Ludovicus,  through  the  Norman-French 
Louis.  A  few  miles  west  is  located  England's  most 
fashionable  watering  place,  but  as  Brighton  had  no 
especial  interest  to  me,  my  return  to  the  London, 
Chatham  and  Dover  R.  R.  was  immediately  made,  and 
a  train  taken  for  the  ancient  town  of  Canterbury. 
Even  then  traces  of  snow  lay  on  the  sides  of  the  track, 
but  the  sloping  hills  and  green  fields  of  Kent  were 
still  clear  and  beautiful.  The  little  villages  and  iso- 
lated farm  buildings,  with  the  omnipresent  round  hop 
tower,  in  the  absence  of  forest  or  grove,  stood  out  in 
barest  outline,  and  thousands  of  slender  poles,  still 
standing,  like  skeletons,  in  the  wide  gardens,  disclosed 
that  it  is  still  a  great  hop-raising  country.  After  leaving 
Dover,  Canterbury  is  soon  reached,  and  as  you  alight 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND  THE   WORI^P.         257 

at  the  station,  its  undulating  aspect  at  once  attracts 
your  attention.  It  is  a  city  now,  and  the  Archbishop 
of  its  ancient  cathedral  is  primate  of  all  England. 
Here  the  Romans  built  their  town,  Durovernum,  and 
here  Ethelbert  held  his  court  and  made  it  the  capital 
of  all  England.  During  his  reign,  in  596,  Augustine" 
arrived  from  Rome  to  introduce  Christianity.  In  1170 
the  unfortunate  affair  between  Henry  II.  and  Thomas 
a  Becket,  which  ended  in  Becket's  death  in  the  cathe- 
dral, took  place,  and  made  Canterbury  the  Mecca  o^ 
the  whole  country.  This  ran  on  until  Henry  VIII. 
destroyed  the  shrine  of  St.  Thomas.  Chaucer,  writing 
in  the  fourteenth  century,  pleasantly  represents  the 
pilgrims  leisurely  sauntering  along  the  highway,  telling 
anecdote  and  story^  and  making  it  a  holiday  excursion. 
Even  to  this  day  we  constantly  use  two  words  handed 
down  therefrom  :  a  canter,  or  easy  pace,  and  a  Canter- 
bury tale,  a  fictitious  narrative. 

On  one  side  of  the  station  is  the  Martyrs'  Field. 
On  the  other  a  tall  round  stone  tower,  surmounting  a 
high  mound,  called  Danejohn  or  Donjon,  attributed  to 
the  early  Celts.  A  little  north  are  the  old  Norman 
Castle  ruins,  and  further  east,  standing  on  the  sight  of 
a  Roman  temple  given  to  St.  Augustine  and  his  fol- 
lowers by  King  Ethelbert,  the  famous  old  Cathedral. 
This  church  was  destroyed,  but  rebuilt  in  1070.  Leav- 
ing out  the  proportions  and  history  of  the  Cathedral, 
it  awakens  no  deeper  interest  than   St.  Martin's,  away 


258       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

to  the  southeast  on  St.  Martin's  Hill.  This  was  the 
church  of  Bertha,  Ethelbert's  queen,  before  596  and 
Augustine's  arrival,  and  is  probably  the  earliest  church 
in  all  England. 

Leaving  Canterbury  by  the  same  road,  the  next 
point  of  interest  was  Rochester  Castle,  old  and  gray, 
almost  square,  perched  upon  a  high  elevation  on  the 
left.  The  river  Medway  peacefully  flows  between 
sloping  banks  of  richest  green  at  its  feet.  Its  style  is 
Norman,  and  it  is  said  to  have  been  built  by  Gun- 
dulph.  Bishop  of  Rochester,  in  the  eleventh  century. 
Here  King  John,  Simon  de  Montfort  and  Wat  Tyler, 
each,  in  his  day,  laid  long  siege  ;  and  within  its  walls 
have  been  entertained  Henry  HI.,  Henry  VIH., 
Charles  V.,  Queen  Bess,  Charles  II.  and  James  H. 
Yet  there  it  stands,  grandly  surveying  the  beautiful 
landscape,  bare,  almost  cruel  in  its  lines,  a  patiiarch 
of  feudal  ages  still  defiant  of  time.  The  smoke  of 
London,  St.  Paul's  dome,  and  the  sluggish  Thames 
come  quickly  into  view  after  leaving  Rochester,  and 
then  I  felt  at  home.  Years  before,  the  land  marks  of 
the  Tower,  almost  down  by  the  water's  side ;  St. 
Paul's ;  The  Inns  of  Court  by  the  old  London  Bar, 
now  removed  and  replaced  by  a  statue  and  tablets ; 
Leicester  Square,  with  its  bust  of  my  namesake.  Sir 
Isaac  Newton,  prominent  chin,  straight,  well-formed 
nose,  and  hair  parted  in  the  middle,  and  all,  the  inno- 
cent cause  of  many  an  unhappy  hour  in  childhood,  and 


IN  A    TOUR  AROUND   THE    WORLD.  259 

still  instant  aggravator  of  my  own  insignificance;  Cha- 
ring Cross ;  Trafalgar  Square  ;  Houses  of  Parliament, 
Westminster  Abbey,  and  Buckingham  Palace  had  be- 
come familiar,  so  in  a  very  few  minutes  I  was  at  my 
hotel  near  the  Square.  In  spite  of  my  great  fatigue, 
the  quarter  strokes  of  Big  Ben  in  his  high  tower  on 
the  Houses  of  Parliament,  and  his  solemn  hourly  peal, 
accompanied  with  the  bar  of  music  from  St.  Martin's, 
and  distant  call  of  still  another,  kept  me  wide  awake  till 
nearly  daylight. 

When  I  awoke  it  was  as  cold  as  Greenland,  an  icy 
chill  penetrating  to  the  marrow\  It  was  quite  early 
when,  after  breakfasting,  I  went  out  and  found  upon 
the  rude  seats  and  cold  stone  pavement  around  the 
fountains  of  the  Square,  scores  of  tattered  men  and 
boys  sound  asleep,  their  purple,  sunken  faces  betray- 
ing the  chill  their  ill-clad  bodies  were  suffering.  I  had 
seen  such  an  exhibition  of  great  London's  poor  years 
since,  and  quickly  recalled  the  noise  and  street  dis- 
turbance of  the  night  before.  There  had  been  a  riot, 
a  bread  riot  so  called,  and  mounted  police  had  been 
called  out  to  ride  down  and  dispel  them.  These  were 
but  a  few  specimens  of  the  immense  crowd  of  five 
hours  before  left  asleep  on  the  field.  On  the  next 
Sunday,  one  of  this  very  crowd  walked  boldly  into 
Westminster  Abbey,  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
Square,  and  interrupted  divine  service  by  publicly  in- 
sulting  the   Dean,     Shall   I   prolong  my    story?     My 


260       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SUNNY  LANDS, 

object  in  writing  at  all  is  merely  to  jot  down  in  a  frag- 
mentary way  what  may  occur  to  me  of  my  long  and 
happy  trip  Conscious  that  I  have  omitted  many  in- 
teresting experiences,  and  that  too  little  care  has  been 
taken  in  relating  what  I  have  really  given,  I  have  now 
arrived  as  near  the  end  of  my  tale  as  I  have  to  the  end 
of  my  long  journey. 

After  my  usual  service  at  St.  Paul's,  and  a  run  through 
Western  England,  out  upon  the  cool  sea,  far  from 
the  chilly,  smoky  land,  I  at  last  find  time  to  rest  and 
reflect. 

Hardly  hours  away  from  shore,  when,  while  prome- 
nading the  hurricane  deck  and  trying  to  get  my  sea- 
legs  on,  there  came  a  sudden  lunge  of  the  steamer, 
and  I  saw  something  drop  from  above  strike  heavily 
on  the  rail,  and  disappear  into  the  boisterous  waves 
below.  With  an  effort,  I  gained  the  side  and  saw  the 
bloody  and  frightened  face  of  a  man  just  rising  above 
the  surface.  The  officer  on  deck  was  by  my  side  in  an' 
instant,  and  the  captain  and  officer  on  the  bridge  at 
the  same  time  discovered  the  accident,  but  it  was  some 
little  time  before  we  were  aware  that  anything  was  to 
be  done  for  the  poor  fellow's  rescue.  He  could  yet 
be  seen  trying  to  wave  his  hand  to  catch  our  attention. 
A  few  men  ran  to  the  davits  and  began  to  leisurely  cut 
the  cords  of  a  boat's  covering.  It  looked  as  though 
an  order  had  been  given  merely  for  repairs.  No 
attempt  was   made   to   turn   about,  and    only  a   slight 


IN  A   TOUR  AROUND   THE   WORLD.  2G1 

change  was  noticed  in  the  vessel's  speed.  The  cov- 
ering of  the  boat  was  not  removed,  however,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  the  vessel  was  racing  on  as  before,  and  a 
poor,  disabled  mortal  left  alone  in  the  cruel  power  of 
certain  death.  "  Some  vessel  may  pick  him  up,"  the 
officer  said.  That  possibility  did  not,  could  not  exist, 
to  be  of  any  avail,  except  to  his  dead  body.  Was  it 
business  !  Was  it  because  the  will  of  one  man,  or  even 
a  majority,  must  rule  !  We  all  may  be  forced  by  cir- 
cumstances to  sacrifice,  at  the  expense  of  justice  or 
humanity,  to  this  narrow  and  selfish  doctrine  so  com- 
mon in  this  world,  and  so  deserving  of  punishment  in 
the  next,  but  no  true  man  permits  it  long. 

Several  cold  but  pleasant  days,  in  which  the  mighty 
billows  lifted  themselves  bodily  out  of  the  water  and 
sank  in  sheer  exhaustion  suddenly  back  again,  now 
followed.  Each  morning  the  sun  rose  sparkling  in  the 
cold,  clear  horizon  like  an  immense  sapphire.  I  was 
fast  nearing  home.  My  watch  and  calendar,  after 
varying  nearly  twelve  hours  fast,  then  slow,  was  grad- 
ually approaching  true,  standard  time.  My  thoughts 
began  to  travel  faster  than  my  faculty  of  realization. 
In  a  few  days — but  stop  !  Two  sailors  are  bearing 
towards  the  vessel's  side  a  long,  canvas-covered  ob- 
ject strikingly  like  a  heathen  idol.  It  has  a  head, 
shoulders  and  shape  like  a  human  being.  The  burden 
is  finally  borne  forward  and  rested  on  the  bulwark. 
At   sea  any  such  object  has  a  strong  fascination,  and 


262       PLEASANT  HOURS  IN  SLNNY  LANDS, 

captain,  officers,  doctor,  steward,  and  a  few  weeping 
passengers  soon  approach  and  stand  by  its  side.  Then 
the  old  familiar  scene  of  the  sad  part  of  ocean  life 
forces  my  understanding.  There  is  to  be  a  burial ! 
Some  soul,  less  fortunate  than  ourselves,  had,  that 
morning,  fled  this  clay,  left  it  untenanted  and  forlorn. 

The  bell  at  my  side  begins  slowly  to  toll  out  the 
years  that  breath  and  life  have  made  their  dwelling- 
place  there.  In  solemn  tones  the  Captain  reads,  "  I 
Know  that  My  Redeemer  Liveth,"  Then  a  signal,  a 
quick  withdrawal  of  the  National  flag,  a  harsh,  grating 
rasp,  and  heavily  down  into  the  pitiless,  restless  ocean 
depths  plunged  a  helpless  form.  The  closing  billows 
leap  and  dance,  and  chase  each  other  up  and  down 
over  an  unknown  grave.  Thus,  within  a  few  days'  jour- 
ney from  home,  an  apparently  healthy  and  strong  young 
man  had  found  a  watery  tomb,  while  I,  after  a  long 
course  of  from  30,000  to  35,000  miies,  in  perfect  health, 
still  seemed  destined  to  reach  home  in  safety.  An 
inscrutable  Providence  ! 

Soon  the  thick  fog  of  the  Newfoundland  Banks 
closed  densely  in  unti',  one  morning,  I  was  startled  by 
the  appearance  of  a  bright  light  on  our  starboard  bow. 
It  was  Cape  Race  Light,  but  t,ooo  miles  from  New 
York.  Two  days  later,  we  signaled  our  arrival  off 
Fire  Island,  and  before  night  saw  Coney  Island, 
Rockaway,  and  Sandy  Hook  nearly  in  front.  We  were 
in   lime   to  escape   the  bar,  and  by  sunset  stood  off 


I.V  A    TOUR  AROUXD   THE   WORLD.  263 

Quarantine.  A  few  minutes'  delay,  and  we  steamed 
by  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  —  whose  benignant  counte- 
nance I  had  bid  good-bve  so  many  months  before,  in 
grave  doubt  as  to  my  ever  seeing  her  bright  face  again, 
—  my  world-wide  trip  well  ended. 


INDEX. 


Page. 

Ac  AJUTLA 38 

AcAPULCO 42 

Aden 179 

AfPwICA 183 

Alexandkia 201 

Anam 113 

Arabia 179 

aspinw  all 23 

Bahamas 15 

Basle 248 

Benares 158 

Bethlehem 219 

Borneo 114 

BURMAH 137 

Brindisi 226 

Cairo 207 

Calais 253 

Calcutta 147 

California 58 

Canterbury 257 

Canton 103 

Central  America 29 

Ceylon 168 

Chalon 252 

Champerico 41 

China 95 

Colombo 169 

CoMO 240 

Crete 224 

Cuba 17 


266  INDEX. 

England 254 

Egypt 201 

Fluelen.   244 

France 251 

Ganges 154 

Germany 249 

Greece 224 

Hay^ti 17 

Hebron 220 

Hong-Kong 98 

India 143 

ISMALIA 197 

Italy 226 

Jamaica 18 

Japan 80 

Java 118 

Jericho 220 

Jerusalem 217 

JoppA 216 

Jordan 221 

kussnaciit 245 

Lewes 255 

LiBERTAD 36 

London 258 

Lucerne 246 

Madras 162 

Malay-"  Peninsula 117 

Marion 251 

Mazatlan 51 

Mexico 42 

Milan 237 

Mt.  Sinai 185 

mulhausen 249 

Nancy 251 


INDEX.  267 

Padua 236 

Palestine 216 

Pajjama  and  Canal 24 

Penang 128 

pondicheery 165 

Port  Said 200 

PuNTA  Arenas 31 

Pyramids 210 

RiGi 245 

Rochester 257 

San  Francisco 59 

San  Jose 38 

San  Salvador 36 

SlAM 113 

Singapore 119 

South  America 20 

St.  Gothard,  Alps,  and  Tunnel 142 

Strasburg 250 

Suez  and  Canal 188 

Sumatra 118 

Switzerland 244 

ToKio 91 

Turkey 228 

Uri 244 

Venice 230 

Verona 23() 

Watling'  s  Island 16 

Yokohama 81 

Yosemite  Valley 66 

Zante 224 

Zurich 247 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


Travel 
G440 
.L67 
1888 


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